Denver Deputy Fired After Inmates Smuggled Drugs Through Uber Eats

DENVER, CO — Deputy Derrek Peterson was fired Friday at the conclusion of a lengthy investigation, during which he admitted to allowing two inmates to order food through Uber Eats, officials said. The inmates were able to smuggle drugs in through the food deliveries, resulting in the attempted suicide of a third inmate, the investigation found.

“First and foremost, I would like to state that I made a mistake. I made a mistake and realize that I have violated the Department’s policy, and I take full responsibility for my actions," Peterson said during his contemplation of discipline meeting on April 11. "I was in the wrong and went against my better judgment, and for that, I apologize."

The incident began when the deputy hired an inmate as a porter — a prison cleaner — who, like Peterson, was a former military veteran, according to a letter of discipline from Denver Public Safety.

Peterson began, on occasion, to assist the porter with PTSD-related issues, according to the letter. When the detention center switched to a new food provider, porters were no longer given extra trays of food, something they had received in the past as compensation for their work. When they joked with Peterson about ordering food, Peterson, in an attempt to "lead with humanity" — a message that is written in a mural painted on the prison wall — decided to allow it, he said.

"My first thing in my head was like, no. Like, I don’t even order food for myself. They never really asked for anything. They asked again, and they’re like, hey, can I have my sister bring us some food. And I was like, you know, okay. I’ll — we’ll try it once, and it didn’t feel right, didn’t feel natural, mainly because that’s extra, extra," Peterson said in his interview. "That’s almost too much, especially for myself where I don’t even order food, and I’ve never gone through that extent to give an inmate something, not necessarily as payment, but like just, good job. You did something right."

Food was delivered to the prison through Uber Eats on two occasions, according to the letter. The first delivery brought Chinese food, which Peterson thoroughly inspected for contraband before giving to the inmates. About a week later, the inmates asked if they could order food a second time.

"And they asked again, and I was like, you know, it was food. I saw them eat it. It wasn’t anything bad. It was food," Peterson said in his interview. "So to me, it wasn’t the best idea for me to do that, but I was trying to show my appreciation, and, in a sense, lead with my humanity, like the mural said. And it didn’t — didn’t necessarily feel right, but I was appreciative for them cleaning up the pod and whatnot."

The second delivery brought three burritos from Chipotle — two for the inmates and a third for Peterson, the letter said.

"They were not indicating this particular burrito was mine. They were not saying the green one is mine, the red one is mine and, again, they got me a burrito. I never asked for it, didn’t expect it, and all three were the exact same," Peterson said. "It was at that time when I said, all right, you guys, this is the last time. They’re like, all right. Well, we appreciate it."

Peterson, who maintained throughout his investigation that, though he made a mistake, he had no idea that drugs were being smuggled into the prison, was eventually placed on no-inmate contact before being put on investigative leave in August 2021.

"Although it is not believed that Deputy Peterson was in any way aware that [the inmates] sought to smuggle in drugs, he, unfortunately, became an unwary tool in their scheme," the letter read. "Deputy Peterson, by allowing these inmates to order food from outside of the jail, exposed many inmates to significant risk. Deputy Peterson’s loss of objectivity in trusting [the inmates] to the point where he would have allowed them to personally order “food” from outside the jail is an act so serious that it demonstrates Deputy Peterson’s lack of fitness to continue holding the position of Denver deputy sheriff."

Peterson, who had worked as a Deputy Sheriff since 2016, has been disciplined four times since 2018 for "misuse and abuse of leave time," and once in 2021 for the use of "inappropriate force," for which he received a 10-day suspension, according to the letter.