SAN ANTONIO — A former detention officer at the Bexar County Jail has been sentenced for a scheme to smuggle methamphetamine to inmates, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
27-year-old Ruben Hernandez was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by a three-year supervised release period.
In January, Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Authorities said Hernandez admitted that from May 4, 2018, until June 22, 2018, he conspired with former detention officer Gabriel Robert Ortiz to smuggle methamphetamine to inmates. Both defendants were the subjects of an undercover operation carried out by federal and state authorities. Ortiz is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for his role in the scheme.
“We are proud to have partnered for the first time with the FBI on this joint sting operation,” stated Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a release. “I am pleased with the conviction in this case, and my stance remains the same on rooting out misconduct.”