Former King County Jail guard sentenced to more than eight years in prison for accepting bribe to bring narcotics into facility

Press Release

Inmates paid him $5,000 to smuggle one pound of methamphetamine and 100 fentanyl pills

Seattle - A former King County Jail guard with a history of corrupt actions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 102 months in prison for bribery and distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl pills, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Former jail employee Mosses Ramos, 40, of Milton, Washington, had been a King County jail guard for 18 years before he was fired last year. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez told Ramos "You betrayed your fellow corrections officers…. You jeopardized the safety of other officers as well as the safety of inmates…. You were smuggling deadly poison into the jail."

"Corrections officers are critical for operating safe, humane, and secure detention facilities," said U.S. Attorney 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. 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 have all pleaded guilty in the case and await sentencing.

In asking for a ten-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang wrote to the court, "Ramos has a history of abusing his authority as a long-serving King County corrections officer. 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."

"Impact in our community is built on the foundation of trust, and Mr. Ramos chose to violate that trust," said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle. "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."

"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," said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. "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 King County Sheriff's Office with support from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Vince Lombardi.

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Updated October 11, 2024