Former Corrections Officer sentenced for drug trafficking

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RICHLAND, Wash.-A former Corrections Officer at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary has been sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking drugs.

Leticia Rodriguez,44, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of meth, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine according to a Department of Justice press release on the sentencing.

Rodriguez must also serve 5 years of federal supervision after she is released from federal custody.

“Ms. Rodriguez violated the trust of the public she had been sworn to serve,” said Vanessa Waldref, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Her criminal conduct undermines the respect many of our law enforcement officials earn on a day-today basis.”

According to court documents, Rodriguez was part of a large drug trafficking organization that involved a legitimate landscaping business to cover up the drug trafficking activities.

Rodriguez was arrested at the Walla Walla Penitentiary after an investigation revealed that she acted as a courier for cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well large amounts of money between Eastern Washington, Arizona and California.

 

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