Ramon Cano, Smuggling Drugs, California 2014

A former correctional officer at Taft Correctional Institution has been hit with a two-count indictment for smuggling heroin and methamphetamine into the prison.

Ramon Cano, 27, of Bakersfield, accepted a $4,000 bribe and agreed to smuggle the narcotics into the facility in exchange for cash, according to court documents.

The incident was uncovered in November 2013 when a federal inmate contacted TCI investigators, alleging that Cano was involved in the smuggling operation.

On February 27, 2014, Cano met with an undercover agent in Bakersfield, who provided him with $4,000 and one ounce of methamphetamine and one ounce of heroin that Cano agreed to smuggle into the prison.

After the transaction, Cano was arrested as he walked back to his vehicle.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Cano faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.

Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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