A federal judge has sentenced Jose Santos Pardo, a 25-year-old from Homestead, Florida, to 14 months in prison for possessing contraband while incarcerated. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber after Santos Pardo pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025.
Court documents state that the incident took place in 2022 at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman), where Santos Pardo was housed in a low security section of the facility. On November 19, 2022, a correctional officer observed Santos Pardo running along a road with two duffle bags and a trash bag. Staff confronted him and searched the bags, finding drugs—including fentanyl—tobacco, alcohol, and cellphones.
During questioning by law enforcement officers, Santos Pardo admitted to picking up the bags from the road to bring them back into his housing unit. Inmates are not allowed to have these items because they can undermine prison order and safety.
The case was investigated by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson prosecuted the case.
“This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.”
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