FRESNO, Calif. - Correctional officer Ramon Cano, 28, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, between November 2013 and Feb. 27, 2014, while working at the Taft Federal Correctional Institution, Cano conspired with inmate Gerardo Alvarez-Montanez, 32, to smuggle cellphones, cash, alcohol and controlled substances into the federal prison in return for cash.
Cano is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on Dec. 15, 2014. On June 23, 2014, Montanez pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15, 2014.
Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
