A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to 67 months in federal prison for smuggling approximately one pound of heroin into a jail complex concealed within Pringles cans.
U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olgui handed down the sentence to Michael Meiser, 40, on Thursday. Meiser had previously pleaded guilty in July of last year to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. This facility is part of the larger Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center.
Federal prosecutors stated that Meiser, who was part of an intelligence and investigative unit monitoring gang activity, attempted to smuggle the narcotics for inmates in exchange for cash payments made through the Cash App. Records show that inmates transferred $1,500 to a relative of Meiser. Subsequently, Meiser collected a package containing two Pringles canisters filled with 1.1 pounds of heroin from a woman at a Chevron gas station in Valencia. The estimated street value of the heroin was approximately $226,000.
In addition to the heroin, the package contained two white envelopes holding $15,000 in cash, representing the remainder of Meiser's payment. He concealed the canisters in a green backpack and transported them to the jail. Prosecutors allege Meiser hid the Pringles cans in the trunk of a sheriff's patrol car. During their departure from the jail complex, sheriff's investigators stopped Meiser and his partner, discovering the cash in Meiser's backpack and retrieving the Pringles cans from the patrol car's trunk.
While no other deputies have been implicated, the case has drawn scrutiny to Meiser's unit and its interactions with inmates. An investigative report indicated that Meiser's unit appeared to acknowledge gang leaders held significant authority over inmates. Meiser's partner, Deputy Jose Mungui, described their unit's approach as aiming to minimize jail chaos by maintaining a rapport with inmates, including gang leaders, to manage issues like overdoses and violence.
Investigators uncovered the extent of Meiser's connections through jail phone calls made by Jose Rodriguez, a reputed gang member and leader at the facility, and his associate, Jackie Triplett. Surveillance footage showed Meiser handing Triplett a bag and bedroll, and subsequent calls revealed coded language for drugs and requests that investigators linked to the heroin smuggling operation. A warrant was issued for Meiser's vehicle, and internal affairs investigators followed him as he retrieved the package containing the heroin from the woman at the gas station.
