Drug smuggling jail ring busted

“It was uncovered by a very alert correctional officer,” said Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti, who noted she can’t recall such an elaborate effort to smuggle drugs. “We’ve had other contraband, cigarettes, cellphones, etcetera; but something like this where it’s coming in soaked in communications, it’s not common that we see this.”

The suspects apparently believed their crimes would go unnoticed, however, testing later determined the mail had been dipped in liquefied meth. The case was investigated by the San Mateo County Task Force and the Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division.

On Dec. 22, members of the Narcotics Task Force served search warrants in Burlingame, Daly City, and San Francisco resulting in the seizure of more than 10 ounces of meth and several thousand dollars, according to the Sheriff’s Office. During the Burlingame search, officers arrested 54-year-old Daly City resident Richard Wood. The five female inmates accused of being involved while in custody are San Mateo resident Shelby Myers, 26; East Palo Alto resident Peweli Pinkston, 27; Pacifica resident Jean Stoller, 36; and San Francisco residents Rhiannon Lawler, 37, and Sara Regan, 34, according the Sheriff’s Office.

Wood, Myers, Pinkston, Regan and Stoller appeared in court Dec. 26. All were charged with one count of felony conspiracy to bring drugs into the jail, pleaded not guilty and were assigned to the private defender program, according to prosecutors. A preliminary hearing was scheduled Jan. 8 and bail was set at $25,000 for all but Regan, whose bail is $38,000, according to prosecutors.

Lawler may have been out of custody before the charges were filed, and is outstanding along with four other suspects, Guidotti said. Felony arrest warrants have been issued for San Francisco residents Ephraim Manlapaz, 44, and Nancy Sanchez, 32; Pacifica resident Agnes Banquerifo-Taylor, 47; and Redwood City resident Bridgette Chavis-Damon, 38, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“They are all marked as wanted criminals,” said Sheriff’s Detective Sal Zuno. “It’s only a matter of time.”

It was not exactly clear what role each played in the alleged drug smuggling ring, however, the five female inmates were involved while they were inside the jail, according to Guidotti and Zuno. While it’s not unusual to have people trying to smuggle things into the jail, the scale of the operation is of note, Zuno said.

“We do everything we can to minimize, or in this case catch, those who are smuggling drugs into the jail,” Zuno said. “It’s not a new thing, it’s just this had become a larger operation because of the five females involved inside the jail.”

Due to the way the drugs were brought in, an exact amount of how much meth was involved was not available. Once the inmates received the letters, it’s believed they distributed it to other people, Zuno said. The women were being held for various charges at the county’s new Maple Street Correctional Facility, which also houses male inmates. The drug-laced letter scheme is believed to have been isolated to the women’s housing area, Zuno said.

In a statement, Sheriff’s Capt. Paul Kunkel noted the monthlong investigation represents the correctional department’s efforts to protect those staffing the jail and the inmates.

“This case highlights the ongoing commitment of the Sheriff’s Office to running safe correctional facilities,” Kunkel said. “We will continue to investigate and take action on any criminal activity that endangers the safety of our staff or the safety of the inmates in our custody.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Special Agent Rich Daly at (650) 573-3991 or at rdaly@smcgov.org. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the tip line at (800) 547-2700.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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