A former guard at the King County Jail has been sentenced to over eight years in prison for taking bribes and smuggling narcotics into the correctional facility. Mosses Ramos, a 40-year-old Milton resident, was handed a 102-month sentence for his involvement in bribery and distributing drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl pills within the confines of the jail.
Caught in a tangle of corruption, Ramos’s downfall came to a head in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, where U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez condemned the former guard's actions, stating "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." Ramos had served as a jail guard in King County for 18 years before his termination last year, according to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case records revealed that between March and May of 2023, Ramos received a $5,000 bribe to introduce approximately a pound of methamphetamine and 100 fentanyl pills to inmates at the facility. The recipients of these illicit goods were inmates Michael Anthony Barquet, aged 37, and 25-year-old Francisco Montero., who are incarcerated for separate serious charges – Montero for a double homicide and Barquet will be tried for drug and bribery charges in April 2025.
The illicit activities in question were not limited within the jail walls, as three co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in relation to this case. Neca Silvestre, 38, of Kent; Katrina Cazares, 38, of Burien; and Kayara Zepeda Montero, 27, of Seattle allegedly associated with the two inmates on the inside, await their sentencing dates, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang expressed to the court the severity of Ramos's actions, "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." This statement details the extent to which Ramos's abuse of power has negatively impacted the jail environment, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Amidst the backdrop of corruption and violations of trust, Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle, highlighted the collaboration between various law enforcement entities and their collective commitment to ethical standards. Smith noted the importance of trust for community impact, stating, "Mr. Ramos chose to violate that trust." The successful joint investigation by the FBI, the King County Sheriff's Office, with support from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, brought the misconduct to light and stresses the ongoing efforts to maintain integrity within public institutions, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
