A federal grand jury indictment from Oct. 31, 2024, said a K-9 officer had planted drugs, phones, and knives around San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in an effort to increase his overtime pay and gain a promotion, according to Marin Independent Journal.
Court documents said Sergeant Avelino Ramirez allegedly smuggled, planted, and “dishonestly discovered” methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, tobacco, electronic devices, and weapons into the prisons at which he worked.
“In 2021, Ramirez recovered 13 of the 23 contraband packages found at San Quentin.” In 2022, Ramirez discovered 20 contraband packages out of a total 28 at San Quentin. Again, the next highest number found by a single officer was two,” said a KTVU article.
The vision statement for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation called rehabilitation and reduced drug use for the incarcerated population a priority, but locating the source of drug discoveries were mostly unsuccessful.
Ramirez joined the CDCR at San Quentin in 2006. He transferred two times. In 2022, he transferred to California Health Care Facility in Vacaville. A few days later, he transferred to California Medical Facility in Stockton.
The discoveries and suspended searches in certain areas of the facility brought attention to supervisors, not before Ramirez had received upwards of $8,200 in overtime pay.
Ramirez has kept his job with CDCR, but has remained on paid administrative leave as of February 27, 2024, according to a CDCR spokesperson.
Residents at San Quentin talked about the impact this outcome has on the lives of residents who may have been denied parole due to disciplinary write-ups received with Ramirez’s name as the investigator.
“This needs to be exposed because it’s a search for the truth,” said resident Richard Blanchard, 65. “Now that it has been exposed, what accountability would be taken as far as going back and checking disciplinary records?” Blanchard said the residents affected by an investigation of the former officer should have their cases revisited.
According to an audit report conducted by the Office of the Inspector General, several headquarters staff were interviewed. Policy and procedures for searching all staff, visitors, and contractors entering secured perimeters of prison grounds were also audited.
The report found that by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, financial records, and phone records, the drugs traced back to employees.
The audit report recommended entrance searches and the use of canines to search visitors and staff in agreement with current department policy.
CDCR has employed contraband interdiction efforts such as baggage and parcel X-ray scanners, cell phone interruption and detection technology, portable security systems, audio and video surveillance systems, and low-dose full-body X-ray scanners.
The high definition cameras are located in areas accessible to incarcerated people in nine facilities with plans to expand to 12 additional prisons, to monitor activity and movement.
CDCR has implemented the above interdictions and detection strategies that reported major drug discoveries and the number of persons arrested for attempting to introduce drugs, alcohol, or contraband into the facility.
The KTVU article noted a “dramatic reduction” of contraband discoveries since Ramirez was removed from Vacaville in February 2023, according to the indictment.
According to the Marin Independent Journal, Ramirez’s federal indictment is the second one that has surfaced within the last six months involving San Quentin staff. In September, Keith Reindeer Randle, a custodian, allegedly tried to smuggle 300 grams of methamphetamine into San Quentin in a peanut butter jar in his backpack.
“If prison investigators and the Office of Internal Affairs conducted frequent and consistently thorough investigations, the department would likely more effectively deter employee misconduct and reduce the flow of drugs into prisons,” said the January 2023 OIG audit report.
