Stillwater prison guard faces meth smuggling charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Washington County prosecutors have charged a prison guard with smuggling methamphetamine to an inmate.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday that 24-year Faith Rose Gratz faces one count of methamphetamine possession with intent to sell and one count of possession of 50 grams or more. Both charges are felonies.

According to a criminal complaint, investigators discovered the scheme after they confiscated a cellphone from an inmate at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport this month. They learned Gratz had given the inmate the phone and messages on it included the two of them laying out delivery plans.

Police and prison investigators caught her with about 233 grams of methamphetamine in her truck when she drove up to the prison on April 8, the complaint said.

Gratz told investigators she brought approximately six packages to the inmate over the four months. At first she said she didn’t know what was in the packages, but later learned they contained drugs.