Denver sheriff deputy accused of smuggling a vape to an inmate

Denver Police arrested Denver Sheriff Deputy Aniel Martinez, accusing him of smuggling a vape pen into jail for an inmate.

The incident took place on Jan. 2, when a fellow deputy saw Martinez “do a round” in a pod at the Downtown Detention Center, according to a police affidavit. He walked up the stairs, removed an unknown item from his cargo pants pocket and handed it to an inmate.

Martinez’s fellow deputy reported the incident to a sergeant, and the Sheriff Department command escorted Martinez out of the downtown jail. Both the deputy’s and the sergeant’s names were redacted in the affidavit. 

On Jan. 3, the Sheriff Department put Martinez, who had worked with the department since 2024, on investigatory leave. 

Deputies searched the inmate, whose name is also redacted from the affidavit, and found a black square-shaped vape pen in the crotch of his long underwear, along with a purple rectangular vape pen labeled “THC” in his sock. The items were seized and given to Denver Police. 

Martinez allegedly gave the black square-shaped vape to the inmate. The inmate said a fellow inmate gave him the purple one. 

A police sergeant arrived at the jail and met with the inmate, who agreed to make a statement about the incident.

The inmate told the sergeant that he saw the vape on Martinez’s desk and asked if he could have it, according to the affidavit. At first, Martinez said no, and then told the inmate the vape would cost $60. 

“I could make a killing selling vapes,” the deputy allegedly told the inmate.

The inmate struck a deal with Martinez that he would pay for the vape via CashApp. The deputy gave the inmate his CashApp handle and phone number, and the inmate shared the information with a woman outside the jail. 

The interaction between the inmate and Martinez was documented on a surveillance camera, and phone calls between the inmate and a woman on the outside of the jail were recorded. In those calls, the inmate allegedly confirmed that the transactions went through. The number exchanged was Martinez’s.

The police charged Martinez with two misdemeanors: first-degree official misconduct and introducing contraband in the second degree. 

Martinez’s actions took place as the Sheriff Department worked to prevent drugs and contraband from entering the jail.