SEATTLE — A former King County Jail guard is among six people who were federally indicted Wednesday for an alleged scheme involving smuggling meth and fentanyl into the facility.
Per the indictment, Mosses Ramos of Milton worked as a correctional officer for 17 years until he was fired in September. Between March and May, Ramos allegedly accepted bribes to bring methamphetamine and fentanyl into the jail for two inmates who remain incarcerated: Michael Anthony Barquet, 37, and Francisco Montero, 25.
“Fentanyl and meth are horribly destructive in our community, and our correctional institutions are not immune. The challenge of keeping inmates safe is made much more difficult when correctional staff betray their positions of trust and authority,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “I credit King County law enforcement officials with working quickly and cooperatively with the FBI to identify those allegedly involved in this bribery and drug smuggling conspiracy.”
The federal investigation uncovered three additional co-conspirators who are associates of the two inmates: Neca Silvestre, 38, of Kent; Katrina Cazares, 38, of Burien; and Kayara Zepeda Montero, 27, of Seattle.
According to the indictment, Ramos communicated to the two inmates sometime in March that he would smuggle the substances into the King County Jail in exchange for $5,000. On March 23, Barquet and Cazares spoke over the phone to coordinate the delivery of the drugs and the bribery payment to Ramos.
The following day, Zepeda gave Ramos the substances and the money for the bribery payment after speaking with both inmates over the phone. On the same day, Silvestre also sent a bribe payment to Ramos through Cash app, per the indictment.
Then on March 25, Ramos smuggled the substances into the King County Jail, although the indictment does not specify how the drugs were brought in and delivered to the inmates. The indictment also does not specify how many times Ramos brought controlled substances into the jail but says the conduct continued until at least May 3.
The indictment does indicate that more than 50 grams of meth were smuggled into the King County Jail.
All six defendants are charged with conspiracy to engage in bribery, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. In addition, Ramos is charged with soliciting and accepting a bribe and the two inmates are charged with bribery.
If convicted, Ramos and the two inmates face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years and could receive life in prison. The other defendants face up as much as 20 years in prison if convicted.