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8 charged in drug smuggling conspiracy at California prison

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This contraband load with approximately $1 million worth of drugs was seized on Aug. 7, 2015, authorities said. [Photo courtesy: US Attorney’s Office.]
Authorities seized this contraband load with approximately $1 million worth of drugs on Aug. 7, 2015, federal officials said. [Photo courtesy: US Attorney’s Office.]
SAN DIEGO – A Lancaster man and woman are among eight people who were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they were members of a network that smuggled methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana into the Calipatria State Prison.

Ryan Hawes, 25, was arrested in Lancaster early Tuesday morning, while 29-year-old Brittney Turner is still at large, authorities said.

The other defendants in the case include 28-year-old Nathaniel Frazier of Los Angeles; 29-year-old Tameika Watts of Los Angeles; 34-year-old Myesha Walters of West Covina; 26-year-old D’Mondo Burns and 34-year-old Brandon Carroll, both inmates at Calipatria State Prison inmate; and 44-year-old  Angela Carr of Moreno Valley, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The drug counselor allegedly smuggled narcotics into the prison, concealed in chip bags, officials said. [Photo: US Attorney’s Office]
The drug counselor allegedly smuggled narcotics into the prison, concealed in chip bags, Quaker Oatmeal boxes and cookie and coffee containers, officials said. [Photo: US Attorney’s Office]
The key defendant, Angela Carr, was a supervisory drug counselor at the Calipatria State Prison, where she routinely met with inmates attending the prison’s substance abuse program, officials said.

“While occupying a position of trust Ms. Carr is alleged to have facilitated the distribution of drugs within the prison population at Calipatria State Prison, thereby undermining the correction and rehabilitation of its inmates,” FBI Special Agent Eric S. Birnbaum said in the news release.

[Photo: US Attorney's Office]
[Photo: US Attorney’s Office]
Four of Carr’s co-conspirators were inmates – three of whom participated in her drug-addiction recovery program. One of those inmates, D’Mondo Burns, was a drug counseling mentor to other inmates. The other inmates charged include Ryan Hawes, Nathaniel Frazier and Brandon Carroll.

According to a search warrant affidavit, Carr received the drugs from the inmates’ girlfriends, identified as Brittney Turner, Tameika Watts and Myesha Walters.

Carr would meet the women in parking lots of bowling allies and big-box stores in Palmdale and Moreno Valley to receive the drugs and contraband, according to the search warrant. Carr then would bring the controlled substances – including methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax, Valium, Soma and Norco – into the prison, concealed in chip bags, Quaker Oatmeal boxes and cookie and coffee containers. The indictment also alleges that Carr smuggled as many as 40 cell phones at a time into the prison, and the phones were to be sold to other inmates and used to coordinate criminal activity both inside and outside the facility.

The drugs and scores of cell phones allegedly smuggled into the prison by the drug counselor on one occasion were estimated to have a prison value of nearly $1.2 million, according to the news release.

Carr’s alleged corruption was discovered in August of 2015 when she was confronted at the staff entrance of the prison, reeking of marijuana, according to the news release.

Authorities said this photo is of methamphetamine and marijuana sent from Hawes and to Carroll over contraband cellphones in Calipatria State Prison. [Photo: US Attorney's Office.]
Authorities said this photo shows methamphetamine and marijuana sent from Hawes to Carroll over contraband cellphones in Calipatria State Prison. [Photo: US Attorney’s Office.]
“She had almost a pound of methamphetamine; 4 pounds of marijuana; a quarter-pound of heroin; 409 tablets of Soma, Xanax, Valium and Norco; 212 grams of tobacco; four bottles of cough syrup and 39 cell phones,” the news release states.

“We are putting everyone on notice: Whatever part you play in the prison smuggling equation, you’re going to be held accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “If you smuggle drugs and contraband into prisons located in the Southern District of California, we will prosecute you federally. And if you’re in prison, we’re not going to overlook you just because you’re already there.”

If convicted, the eight defendants face maximum life sentences of life in prison, according to the news release.

The FBI encourages the public to report allegations of public corruption to the hotline 877-NO-BRIBE (662-7423).

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21 comments for "8 charged in drug smuggling conspiracy at California prison"

  2. So it’s money well spent when the GANG members are LASD? Tax payers are tired of all the [removed] the violence, lies , murders, rape, all is good as long as it enforced by a badge and no heart . RICO need to be stuck up a few sheriffs [removed] maybe they might understand EVERYONE PAYS . CORRUPTION at its best right here in the A.V. times are changing boys ,

  3. It’s not only the Correction Officers bringing in the contraband, this woman was a civilian employee. I commend the CDCR Undersecretary for allowing the feds to step in as the punishment is much harsher. Guess she didn’t like here benefits, perks and retirement benefits and chose to be gredy all for the money.

    Like I’ve said repeatedly… doesn’t matter who you are, we are all one bad choice from having a criminal record.

    • Let’s keep making it clear that it’s more than one bad choice, it’s usually a lifestyle of bad choices.

      Just like that Dena Boy correctional officer that was caught in Lancaster and this woman and her accomplices, almost all of the officers smuggling in phones and drugs do so for their “dawgs”. They see race and color as more important than their roles as peace officers.

      These officers play dress up. They wear an officer uniform but inside the prison they walk, talk, act and take sides with the inmates while also socializing with inmate families who love to the community. Al the while subjecting other officers and staff to the dangers of inmates with phones and drugs who plan assaults on staff.

      It’s not hard to find the bad ones but it’s politically incorrect to go after them.

      • What you make endlessly clear is that even though you are just a fireman you really believe you should be a judge…except you would need to be a judge in a system where you could be unfettered by such things as juries, or laws. Wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place if everyone could just be forced to comply with “the Falco way”?

        You are grotesque.

      • Shane, you have an uncanny ability to get under Timothy’s skin. I guess his lack of education in the State Prison system (surprising, for reasons I’ve previously mentioned) prevents him from knowing that all those inmates have already been found guilty and are sentenced by the ‘judges, juries and laws” which, by the way, he only has use for when a crook is found not guilty.

        • Nocho, you have an uncanny ability to see things your way when they aren’t anything like what you think.

          Shane disgusts me, which is not the same as “gets under my skin.” Get back in your squad car where a badge and gun can compensate for your obvious shortcomings.

          • Well, Tim….I have friends I grew up with that have worked for CDCR in tehachapi and Lancaster and I’m well aware of the issues at the prison and cell phone and drug smuggling.

            You probably don’t know Tim that until as recently as 2011 it wasn’t even a crime to smuggle in a phone, you could get walked off the yard and terminated but it wasn’t a crime and the CDCR has more phones confiscated than Texas…far more. In 2013 alone over 12,000 phones were confiscated in the CDCR.

            Officers know who is smuggling them in but they are ostracized and retaliated against by “the black wall” if they speak out.

            Even though you have yourself an opinion, Tim, the truth is that you don’t have a clue.

          • So you don’t have a badge and gun to compensate for your shortcomings?

            Sucks to be you then, no doubt.

          • Obviously, Tim, I have a badge. I also know plenty of firefighter’s who have a CCW. If, hypothetically, a deputy was planning on leaving the department he could apply for a CCW while still a deputy and thus have it and justify it if he were to take another sworn position within the county.

            As far as shortcomings…I make a comfortable living, respect the law, raise my kids to do the same, I serve the community and simply have an acquired disdain for criminals.

            It does not take a badge or a gun to live how I live.

      • @Shane Falco…the majority of the CO’s wear their uniforms proud. It’s the few that love the extra dirty money that gets them mixed up, screwed up and can’t go back. Don’t bring up Dena boy as you don’t know what your talking about. STFU

        • Ummm… apparently he hit it right on the head.

          https://www.theavtimes.com/2015/02/24/former-lancaster-prison-guard-pleads-to-smuggling-contraband-gang-affiliation/

          Funny thing about Timmy and Michelle: they complain about ‘dirty’ cops (I don’t consider CDCR law enforcement but that’s a separate issue),and the fact their own won’t put a stop to it. Sooo… first this punk Dena boy and now others have been brought down,but the lib dream team seems to be going to bat or, at least, making excuses for them. What is it that bothers them? The fact that most of these involved in the CDCR capers are ‘people of color?’

        • Michelle, if you read the prior articles here on the AV Times about Andre Scott you will see that I called it just as it was and was correct.

          You ranted about how he was being set up in the AV courthouse because he was black and that he had no gang affiliation.

          The problem is that here… https://www.theavtimes.com/2015/02/24/former-lancaster-prison-guard-pleads-to-smuggling-contraband-gang-affiliation/ Andre admitted in open court that he did the things he was accused of doing.

          It appears that looking at the comments from all the articles about him that it was you who does not know what you are talking about. As I said, I know people who are working (not inmates) at the prison in Lancaster and Dena Boy is the tip of the iceberg.

          I’m sure you probably don’t know that…either.

        • Michelle, there are several articles about Andre Scott where you posted that he was not gang affiliated, couldn’t get a fair trial in the AV because he was black and was victimized by the CCPOA.

          Unfortunately, if you look here https://www.theavtimes.com/2015/02/24/former-lancaster-prison-guard-pleads-to-smuggling-contraband-gang-affiliation/ you will see that he plead guilty to being gang affiliated as well as guilty of drug smuggling. He received a very favorable sentence too…not quite the “lynching” you predicted.

          My comments in the various articles were on point. As I said, I know people who work at the prison in Lancaster. Dena Boy was just the tip of the iceberg. It appears that it was you who didn’t know what you were talking about.

          That’s why you didn’t comment on his guilty plea…unless you didn’t know he was guilty..?

          It appears that

          • Dena Boy shirts, hats,officers saw him flashing blood gang signs, he was caught with drugs for the bloods and he plead to gang affiliation….and now he’s a disgraced felon running with bloods in the prison

            Sure….he’s no dena boy

          • @Shane Falco… you have no idea what your talking about. But I can say Station 33 is just as dirty.

  4. The Feds need to start looking at the Lancaster, (State Prison). They are so busy giving inmates EVERYTHING they want, i.e.- acting classes, dog training classes, art classes, and lets not forget their intake of Cosco pizza, whole roasted chickens and on and on and on that the drug and cell phone trade is flourishing, not to mention the inmate fighting and officer assaults that goes a long with it. Make no mistake about it, the inmates at the Lancaster prison run the joint-and your tax dollar is paying for it!

    • Oh, I almost forgot. The “maximum security” hard core felons, murders, rapists, drug pusher etc. at the Lancaster prison, also can participate in YOGA CLASSES,, that’s right-YOGA CLASSES. I am not making this up. YOUR TAX DOLLAR AT WORK!

  5. Everybody knows only the guards are allowed to smuggle contraband into prisons. I think they negotiated this as part of the CCPOA union contract.