He actually said
Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
SAN DIEGO — A San Diego woman was sentenced to 86 months in prison for firearm possession and heroin distribution charges, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Lucresia Stone-Rojas, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Todd Robinson handed down the sentence.
The first offense occurred on Nov. 12, 2023, when police stopped Stone-Rojas in El Cajon after license plate readers identified a stolen Porsche. Officers recovered a loaded 9mm Walther firearm and additional ammunition.
In a separate incident on Dec. 27, 2023, federal investigators arrested Stone-Rojas for attempting to smuggle heroin into California prisons. Authorities found approximately 23 grams of heroin concealed in the spines of two Bibles, which were addressed to multiple prison inmates.
Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden emphasized the dangers of smuggling drugs into prisons, stating, “Smuggling drugs into our prisons endangers both the inmates and the correctional staff. It will not be tolerated. Hopefully, this case will serve as a warning to anyone who would be willing to abuse the tools of faith and rehabilitation to perpetuate addiction and despair.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the El Cajon Police Department. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing gun violence and other violent crimes.
The sentencing comes as the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department continues to combat the smuggling of drugs into prisons.
“We have seen record interceptions at the point of booking where narcotics were removed from individuals who were attempting to smuggle them into the jails,” read a 2023 statement from the Sheriff’s Department. “These interceptions have had a direct impact on the decrease of overdoses taking place within the facilities.”
San Diego Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin-Filled Bibles Addressed to California Prison Inmates
SAN DIEGO – U.S. District Court Judge Todd Robinson sentenced Lucresia Stone-Rojas of San Diego today to 86 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm on November 12, 2023, and possession with intent to distribute heroin on December 27, 2023. Stone-Rojas previously pleaded guilty in federal court to these charges.
According to court records, police stopped Stone-Rojas on November 12, 2023, after license plate readers identified a stolen Porsche near North Second Street and East Main Street in El Cajon. During the stop, police recovered a loaded 9mm Walther firearm and an additional ammunition magazine. Multiple prior felony convictions prohibit Stone-Rojas from possessing a firearm or ammunition. She was therefore charged with unlawful firearm possession, following investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Stone-Rojas was again arrested by federal investigators on December 27, 2023, for a second offense. This time, Stone-Rojas possessed sealed packages and envelopes addressed to multiple prison inmates in the California Department of Corrections. A search of the packages revealed two Bibles containing approximately 23 grams of heroin; the drugs were concealed in the spine of the Bibles and destined for delivery to two different California prisons.
“Smuggling drugs into our prisons endangers both the inmates and the correctional staff. It will not be tolerated.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden “Hopefully this case will serve as a warning to anyone who would be willing to abuse the tools of faith and rehabilitation to perpetuate addiction and despair.”
“Multi-convicted felons who possess firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our communities safe and firearms out of the hands of prohibited people,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kenneth R. Cooper. “ATF will continue to work with local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate the violent career criminals who illegally possess firearms.”
“Drug distribution, no matter where it occurs, threatens the safety of our community and will not be tolerated,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR2622 (TWR)
Lucresia Stone-Rojas Age: 46 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Felon in Possession of a Firearm — Title 18 U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1)
Maximum Penalty: 15 years in prison and $250,000 fine
Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin – Title 21 U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum Penalty: 20 years in prison and $1,000,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Drug Enforcement Administration
El Cajon Police Department
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Kelly Thornton, Director of Media Relations
