SAN QUENTIN — Federal prosecutors have been uncovering alleged crimes throughout the partitions of California’s oldest jail, however they are saying the perpetrators had been residing within the free world.
From late September to Halloween, two completely different San Quentin staff — a custodian and now a corrections officer — have been charged with crimes associated to alleged possession of drug contraband throughout the jail. The most recent man to face fees is Avelino Ramirez, a K9 officer who excelled at discovering contraband wherever he labored, as a result of authorities say he was allegedly planting it first.
Ramirez was indicted on Oct. 31 on fees of committing wire fraud by allegedly racking up extra time and setting himself up for illicit pay raises by first planting contraband, then “discovering” it. This occurred not simply at San Quentin Rehabilitation Heart — previously generally known as San Quentin State Jail — but additionally on the California Medical Facility in Vacaville the place he beforehand labored, prosecutors allege.
If you check out Ramirez’s employment information, it’s no marvel they drew suspicion; prosecutors say he outperformed colleagues by greater than 10 instances over. In 2022, as an illustration, Ramirez found contraband on 20 events. The following most-successful corrections officer discovered contraband twice that 12 months, the indictment says.
In late September, a custodian at San Quentin named Keith Reindeer Randle was charged with possessing 300 grams of methamphetamine and a smaller quantity of hashish oil, medication that have been allegedly discovered inside a peanut butter jar in his backpack. Randle claimed the jar wasn’t his and that he was simply on his strategy to return it when he was stopped and searched by a corrections sergeant that day, in keeping with courtroom information.
The search of Randle doesn’t seem to have been random, however authorities haven’t mentioned whether or not they acquired a tip from somebody within the jail.
Randle has been launched from jail whereas his case is pending. Prosecutors filed an indictment in opposition to Ramirez practically two weeks in the past however he has but to have his first courtroom look, information present. He’s not in custody.
Each the drug fees in opposition to Randle and the fraud fees in opposition to Ramirez carry a most 20-year penalty, in keeping with courtroom information.
Initially Revealed: November 11, 2024 at 12:32 PM PST
