Minnesota Prison Inmate Sentenced For Smuggling Drugs into Prison

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man serving a 24 year prison sentence for a second-degree murder conviction has now been handed a 15 year federal prison sentence for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine into Stillwater State Prison.

The US Attorney for Minnesota says 37-year-old Axel Rene Kramer was accused of teaming up with a former Stillwater corrections officer to bring the drugs into the prison and distribute the contraband to other inmates. The corrections officer, 26-year-old Faith Gratz, was earlier sentenced to 27 months in prison for her role in the smuggling operation.

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According to court documents, Kramer obtained wholesale quantities of prepackaged methamphetamine from sources outside of the prison. The charges stated that Kramer and another inmate arranged times and locations for Gratz to pick up the drug packages. She then used her position to bring the drugs into the prison and transfer them to Kramer while performing her prison guard duties.

Gratz was prosecuted for participating in the drug smuggling scheme approximately six times. She was also accused of smuggling cell phones into the prison for Kramer, who used them to communicate with people inside and outside of the prison to further the drug distribution conspiracy.

The criminal charges allege that Kramer and Gratz exchanged hundreds of text messages that included discussions about the drug trafficking operation and their romantic relationship. The communications also included warnings to Kramer about upcoming searches of cells within Stillwater State Prison.

Kramer entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine earlier this year.

His prosecution, and the prosecution of the prison guard, was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bayport Police Department, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and the FBI.

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