A relative of San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto was caught growing cannabis at a county jail, according to an investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Juel Perez De Leon, the brother-in-law of Miyamoto, was working as a plumber at a county jail in San Bruno in 2022 when a coworker found him smoking marijuana in a maintenance area, according to an incident report recently obtained by the Chronicle. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
That first incident led to a larger investigation by then-Sheriff’s Capt. John Ramirez, who uncovered allegations of “grow lights and starter plants being transplanted in other areas of the facility.” The investigation also revealed “rumors that De Leon may be cultivating marijuana in a locker on jail grounds,” the Chronicle reported.
While it may sound improbable to grow marijuana inside a correctional facility, cannabis cultivation can actually be accomplished with a relatively small footprint. An experienced grower can produce cannabis with a single grow light and a tent small enough to fit into a closet — although doing so in a county jail takes a certain amount of daring beyond just the practical requirements.
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The San Mateo County District Attorney charged De Leon after the allegations were made, and in 2022, he pleaded no contest to a charge of growing cannabis. He denied growing cannabis at the jail when interviewed by the Chronicle, but the man’s attorney told the paper that they were “tiny little marijuana plants that he was accused of growing in his locker.”
Miyamoto was not involved in the investigation into his brother-in-law but fired him as soon as the case came to his attention, a spokesperson told the Chronicle.
*This article first appeared on SFGATE.com and is reposted with permission.