A former San Diego prison guard was charged Wednesday with two felony counts for allegedly smuggling and distributing heroin and methamphetamine at the prison where he worked.
Jose Dolores Salgado, 49, also allegedly conspired with another person for some time to distribute the drugs at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
According to the indictment unsealed Wednesday, Salgado, a 23-year veteran with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), was caught on Jan. 3, 2018, with heroin and more than five grams of methamphetamine that he intended to smuggle into the prison.
He resigned from the CDCR two days after allegedly being caught, prosecutors said.
“Corruption within the California state prison system cannot be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said. “With the arrest today, we take another step in preserving the integrity of our justice system by ensuring that corruption is rooted out and prosecuted.”
The CDCR's Office of Internal Affairs said it worked with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in the case to ensure that none of the staff, inmates and the public at Calipatria were in any danger during the investigation.
Salgado was charged with possession with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. If convicted, Salgado faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison for each of the charges.
