Three Individuals Sentened in Scheme to Smuggle Heroin into State Prison

WASHINGTON—A former correctional officer, a correctional nurse, and an associate of another former correctional officer were sentenced today in the District of Puerto Rico for attempting to smuggle and deliver heroin into Bayamón State Penitentiary.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.

Former correctional officer Angel López-Reverón, 39, of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, and former correctional nurse Victoria Rivera, 49, of Corozal, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2013, to a one-count indictment charging them separately with attempt to distribute a controlled substance. Lopez and Rivera were each sentenced to serve 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Francisco A. Besosa.

López-Reverón was paid $1,000 to provide a package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where López-Reverón worked as a correctional officer. On September 15, 2010, López-Reverón met with an undercover agent, whom he believed was a drug dealer, and was given what he believed to be a package of heroin. He delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.

Separately, Rivera was also paid $1,000 to provide package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where Rivera worked as a nurse. On July 1, 2010, Rivera met with an undercover agent, whom she believed was a drug dealer, and was given what she believed to be a package of heroin. She delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.

Antonio Román-Medina, 39, of Isabela, Puerto Rico, was also sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Carmen C. Cerezo. He pleaded guilty on December 17, 2013, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Román-Medina and a co-conspirator, William Joel Medina, were paid $4,000 to deliver a package of heroin to an inmate at the Medical Center in San Juan. On September 9, 2009, Román-Medina and Medina met with an undercover agent, whom they believed was a drug dealer, and were given what they believed to be a package of heroin. Román-Medina delivered the purported heroin to the inmate that same day.

William Joel Medina, a former correctional officer with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison for the same scheme.

The cases were investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division. The cases were prosecuted by Trial Attorney Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hector Ramírez-Carbó and Justin R. Martin of the District of Puerto Rico.