A former janitor was sentenced to federal prison for smuggling methamphetamine to inmates at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, prosecutors said Friday.
Keith Randle, 57, of Vallejo, had pleaded guilty May 15 and was sentenced to 37 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern California said.
Randle, in a plea agreement, admitted to charging $1,000 per item he smuggled into the prison, including methamphetamine, marijuana, and tobacco to inmates.
The scheme went on for years, dating back to at least January 2019 and continuing through August 15, 2024, prosecutors said. In total, Randle admitted to soliciting and accepting over $100,000 in bribery payments from inmates and their associates.
Randle said he initially took payments directly from inmates, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“However, fearing law enforcement might uncover his contraband and drug distribution scheme, Randle began to solicit and accept bribery payments from the associates of inmates rather than inmates themselves,” prosecutors said.
Meth smuggling and payments
Randle was caught inside San Quentin with a hollowed-out peanut butter jar containing 301 grams of methamphetamine, as well as marijuana. The peanut butter jar was painted brown and glued shut to appear full and unopened.
According to the plea agreement, from January 2019 through April 2020, Randle was paid $31,000 from associates of inmates to his PayPal account in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison, according to prosecutors.
From July 2021 through August 2022, Randle received approximately $40,926 via Cash App from an inmate’s wife in exchange for smuggling contraband to her husband, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
On Oct. 1, 2024, federal law enforcement seized $55,210 in cash from Randle’s two residences, all of which Randle admitted were proceeds from his bribery and drug distribution scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Randle was ordered to forfeit $55,210.