Heroin seized during search
SBSD

A Santa Maria man who admitted to smuggling drugs into Santa Barbara County Jail was sentenced to two years in prison Friday morning.

Paul Bautista, 30, pleaded guilty to a felony of bringing illegal narcotics into the facility. He along with two others — Marcos Ramos and Samantha Aftergut — were arrested in November after authorities reportedly found the drugs on Ramos. Authorities suspected Aftergut gave the drugs to Bautista, who then smuggled them into the jail and gave them to Ramos.

Bautista, Paul Charles

Chief Deputy District Attorney Hilary Dozer dismissed charges against Aftergut because the “evidence with regard to her was insufficient to proceed.” There was no way to prove the drugs prescribed to her were the drugs discovered in the jail, Dozer explained.

Four days after the drug discovery, Ramos was convicted to eight years in prison for an unrelated crime. Authorities allege they found him in possession of heroin, prescription pills, marijuana, and tobacco. But because he was already headed to prison, and the amount of time that could be tacked on was minimal, Dozer said, no charges were filed against Ramos. He is currently at Wasco State Prison.

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