A former King County jail guard received a prison sentence of eight years and six months for accepting a bribe to bring narcotics into the facility while he worked at the jail.
Inmates paid Mosses Ramos $5,000 to smuggle 1 pound of methamphetamine and 100 fentanyl pills into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle. Ramos, 40, of Milton, had been a jail guard for 18 years before he was fired last year.
“You betrayed your fellow corrections officers,” U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo S. Martinez told Ramos at his Friday, Oct. 11 sentencing in Seattle, according to an U.S. Department of Justice press release. “You jeopardized the safety of other officers as well as the safety of inmates. … You were smuggling deadly poison into the jail.”
Ramos pleaded guilty May 30 to bribery and distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl pills,
“Corrections officers are critical for operating safe, humane and secure detention facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “In this case Mr. Ramos betrayed the trust placed in him and jeopardized the safety of his colleagues and detainees by smuggling highly addictive and lethal drugs into the jail.”
According to records filed in the case, between March and May 2023, Ramos accepted a $5,000 bribe to bring about a pound of methamphetamine and 100 fentanyl pills into the jail for inmates Michael Anthony Barquet, 37, and Francisco Montero, 25, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Both men are currently incarcerated. Montero is facing trial in King County Superior Court for a double homicide. Barquet is scheduled for trial on drug and bribery charges for this case in April 2025.
The web of bribes and drug trafficking extended outside the jail with three coconspirators who are alleged associates of the two inmates: Neca Silvestre, 38, of Kent; Katrina Cazares, 38, of Burien; and Kayara Zepeda Montero, 27, of Seattle each pleaded guilty in the case and await sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy Chang asked for a 10-year sentence.
“Ramos has a history of abusing his authority as a long-serving King County corrections officer,” Chang wrote. “For years, he introduced drugs and other contraband into the facility. He disclosed confidential information to inmates. He allowed inmates to assault one another and even expressed a desire for an inmate to be assaulted when he believed the inmate ‘snitched’ on him. Ramos’ unwavering abuse of power before, during, and after the charged offenses is an aggravating factor for his sentence.”
Kelly M. Smith, assistant special agent in charge of FBI Seattle, said Ramos needed to be held accountable.
“Impact in our community is built on the foundation of trust, and Mr. Ramos chose to violate that trust,” Smith said. “We are grateful for the exceptional collaboration with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention who share our commitment to holding public servants accountable and keeping drugs out of our correctional facilities. This successful joint investigation demonstrates the commitment by public safety professionals to hold those who violate this trust to the highest standards.”
King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said such steps must be taken to keep drugs out of jails. The Sheriff’s Office oversees the county jails in Seattle and Kent.
“The Sheriff’s Office is eager to take any steps necessary to help keep fentanyl and other deadly drugs out of our communities, including our jails,” Cole-Tindall said. “We are glad to have played a role in helping the Department of Justice shed light on these egregious and appalling crimes.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Sheriff’s Office with support from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
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