The California woman was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday after being arrested on a weapons charge, and was found in a heroin-filled Bible addressed to prisoners in state prisons.
Lucresia Stone-Rojas, 46, was first arrested on November 12, 2023 after license plate readers identified a Porsche stolen in El Cajon.
During the traffic stop, authorities discovered a 9mm Walther handgun and ammunition was mounted, the Justice Department said.
She has been convicted of a previous felony, and Stone Rojas has been charged with unlawful possession of a gun by the federal government. She was not charged for the stolen vehicle.
On December 27, 2023, she was arrested again when federal agents found a package and envelope addressed to inmates in a California prison.
The search revealed two Bibles, including 23 grams of heroin, authorities said.
The drug was hidden in the spine of the Bible and was destined to give birth to two California prisons.
“We're smuggling drugs into our prisons, putting both prisoners and correctional staff at risk. That's not acceptable,” said Andrew Hayden, a US lawyer. “Hopefully, this incident will serve as a warning to those willing to abuse their faith and rehabilitation tools to perpetuate addiction and despair.”
