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Former California Prison Guard 
Pleads Guilty to Planting Contraband 
He Pretended to Discover

Loaded on Aug. 1, 2025 published in Prison Legal News August, 2025, page 43
Filed under: Guard Misconduct. Location: California.

Avelino Ramirez, 52, worked at the San Quentin State Prison from 2013 to 2022, according to his plea agreement. In 2022, he was promoted to K-9 sergeant and transferred to the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Ramirez, between October 2021 and February 2024, orchestrated a scheme to plant contraband in common areas at both facilities and then pretend to find it in order to make himself a better candidate for promotion. The former guard also inflated his salary by claiming the fake seizures as overtime. 

The items that Ramirez planted ranged from methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine to cell phones and weapons. Perhaps as a cost-cutting measure, prosecutors say he also occasionally diluted the planted narcotics with salt or sugar and mixed lawn trimmings with the marijuana. 

Ramirez pleaded guilty in a federal court to one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 18, and he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

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