Burrito used to smuggle drugs into prison

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Authorities say they used a heroin-filled burrito in a sting to nab a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy they suspect was helping smuggle drugs to a prisoner.

Deputy Henry Marin allegedly admitted to investigators he was part of a January 2010 scheme to smuggle food to inmate Carlos Gallardo, a Mexican Mafia associate, via another inmate, Robert Alvarez, but denied knowing drugs were inside. Marin allegedly told investigators he had been passing food to Alvarez for about a year to get free sandwiches for himself.

Transcripts from the grand jury indictment against Marin this month were made public this week, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Marin has pleaded innocent to the conspiracy and drug charges.

Indictment documents reveal authorities allege the sting took shape after Gallardo called a friend to try and get her to deliver him drugs. She refused at first; however, sheriff's investigator Jim Deruyter, who happened to be listening in on the call, approached her at home.

"Look," Deruyter said to her, "we're after a deputy sheriff who is dirty, one or two, and what we really need is your cooperation in getting these deputy sheriffs."

The woman, whose name is being withheld for her personal safety, initially refused to help but later agreed to take part in the sting.

Police gave her a burrito filled with 24 grams of black tar heroin, which she brought to the courthouse at lunchtime to pass to Marin, documents show. As soon as Marin took the bag, investigators stopped him for questioning.