Assistant U. S. Attorney Andrew Young (619) 546-7981
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Robinson (619)-546-7994
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - Feb. 28, 2017
SAN DIEGO - Eleven people, including a former Corrections Officer at Richard J. Donovan (“RJD") Correctional Facility, are charged in federal court as members of a network that smuggled methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and cellular telephones into the prison.
The key defendant, Anibal Navarro, the former Corrections Officer at RJD, was arrested by FBI Agents and officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations-Office of Internal Affairs on June 26, 2016 as he attempted to smuggle heroin, methamphetamine and cellular telephones into the prison.
Ten additional individuals, including inmates and their associates on the outside, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they conspired with Navarro to smuggle drugs and cellular telephones into the prison. Navarro was released on bond.
Four defendants were arrested today in Los Angeles; six are already in custody in California state prisons.
According to the indictment, Martin Gomez, while an inmate at RJD in 2014, recruited Navarro to smuggle contraband into the prison. After Gomez was moved to another California state prison, he continued to coordinate and supervise the operation by conducting conference calls with Sylvia Gonzales, Gomez’s associate outside the prison, Navarro and others. During these calls, the conspirators arranged for narcotics, cellular telephones and cash to be delivered to Navarro at various locations in Southern California.
In addition to Gonzales, the smuggling operation was also aided by others outside the prison, including Everaldo Santana, Norma Alvardo-Medina and Vanessa Jackson, according to allegations in the indictment. These individuals provided Navarro with the narcotics and cellular telephones to smuggle into the prison. return, Navarro was paid between $1,000 and $2,000 each time he smuggled contraband into the prison. According to the dictment, this smuggling operation began in April 2014 and lasted nearly two years until it was dismantled in June 2016 with Navarro’s arrest.
The indictment alleges that after the contraband was smuggled into the prison, RJD inmates Agustin Aceves, Juan Gutierrez, John Price, Jeremy Gaither and Hugo Alvarado received and distributed the narcotics and cellular telephones to other inmates. The phones were used to coordinate criminal activity both inside and outside the facility.
Deputy United States Attorney Mark Conover said, “Corrections officers play a critical role in protecting the public from some of the most dangerous criminals. By placing greed above his duty, former Officer Navarro compromised the security of the public and enabled violent felons to continue committing crimes within the prison walls. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute every individual involved in these criminal activities."
FBI Special Agent Eric S. Birnbaum said, “The FBI is responsible for investigating corruption involving government officials and their entire criminal networks. Today’s arrests are an example of how our investigators work with our law enforcement and corrections partners to reveal the individuals fulfilling each role of the criminal network that affect the safety and security of our correctional facilities."
The FBI encourages the public to report allegations of public corruption to our hotline at (877) NO-BRIBE (662-7423).
DEFENDANTS Case No. 17cr0446-AJB
MARTIN GOMEZ Age 56 Lancaster Prison
SYLVIA GONZALES Age 57 Sylmar, California
EVERALDO SANTANA Age 25 Los Angeles, California
AGUSTIN ACEVES Age 42 Lancaster Prison
NORMA ALVARADO-MEDINA Age 33 El Monte, California
JUAN GUTIERREZ Age 42 Vacaville, California
JOHN PRICE Age 20 Salinas Valley Prison
VANESSA JACKSON Age 39 Pasadena, California
JEREMY GAITHER Age 33 Valley State Prison
HUGO ALVARADO Age 24 High Desert Prison
DEFENDANTS Case No. 16cr1664-AJB
ANIBAL NAVARRO Age 38 Chula Vista, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances - Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) (1) and 846
Maximum Penalty: Life in Prison
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1349
Maximum Penalty: 20 years in prison
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation - San Diego Field Office
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Service Unit
United States Postal Service - Inspection Service
San Diego Police Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
