Guard Smuggled Meth Into Stillwater Prison: Charges

STILLWATER, MN — A Stillwater prison guard is facing several felony charges after police said they found about a half-pound of methamphetamine in her truck and text messages that showed she was delivering the drugs to inmates.

Faith Rose Gratz, 24, of St. Paul, was charged with one count of possession and one count of intent to sell methamphetamine, according to Washington County court records.

Police said they launched an investigation into Gratz after finding a cell phone on someone being held at the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater in Bayport, according to the criminal complaint filed against her.

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Police allege Gratz gave the cell phone to the inmate to use for “drug-related messages,” including one in which the inmate arranged for her to pick up a half-pound of methamphetamine on April 4.

Gratz and the inmate talked about bringing the drugs into the prison when she returned to work a few days later, police said.

Bayport police and investigators from the Stillwater prison searched Gratz’s truck as she arrived for work early on April 8 and found a package with about a half-pound of methamphetamine, the complaint states.

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Gratz told police she brought about six packages into the prison over the previous four months, according to the charges. She said she didn’t initially know what was in the packages but later learned they contained drugs, the complaint states.

"These allegations are deeply troubling and are not indicative of the incredible work done by corrections staff every day to make Minnesota a safer place to live," Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesperson Nicholas Kimball said in a statement to Patch. "Smuggling illegal drugs into a prison presents a grave risk to staff and the incarcerated population, and we will continue to cooperate fully with this case."

Gratz’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 11. She is being held at the Washington County jail on $200,000 bail without conditions or $75,000 with conditions, the Star Tribune reported.

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