A California woman was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison after she was arrested on a weapons charge and found with heroin-filled Bibles addressed to inmates in state prisons.
Lucresia Stone-Rojas, 46, was initially arrested Nov. 12, 2023, after a license plate reader identified a stolen Porsche in El Cajon.
During a traffic stop, authorities found a loaded 9mm Walther handgun and ammunition, the Justice Department said.
Because she has previous felony convictions, Stone-Rojas was federally charged with unlawful possession of a gun. She wasn’t charged for the stolen vehicle.
On Dec. 27, 2023, she was arrested again when federal investigators found packages and envelopes addressed to inmates in a California state prison.
A search revealed two Bibles containing 23 grams of heroin, authorities said.
The drugs were concealed in the spine of the Bibles and destined for delivery to two California state prisons.
“Smuggling drugs into our prisons endangers both the inmates and the correctional staff. It will not be tolerated,” said acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Hopefully, this case will serve as a warning to anyone who would be willing to abuse the tools of faith and rehabilitation to perpetuate addiction and despair.”
