Former MDC guard faces judge in drug smuggling case

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Former jail officer faced a judge for the first time this weekend accused of trying to smuggle drugs into the Metro Detention Center inside his underwear.

Rob Padilla, 23, appeared in court Saturday alongside his attorney.

He was arrested Thursday for allegedly trying to smuggle into the jail a variety of drugs hidden inside his boxer shorts, on behalf of a jail inmate.

Padilla has been fired.

County officials say Padilla’s arrest is tied to a new collaboration between MDC and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department, to root out bad MDC employees.

"When we receive intel whether its us or the sheriffs department, We are now bringing us both into the picture simultaneously,” Bernalillo County Safety Manager, Tom Swisstack, said. “We're not coming in at the back end or the sheriffs department isn't coming in on the back end that's a big change.”

Padilla is already out of jail on bond.

He told investigators he at first denied the inmate's request to smuggle drugs, but eventually gave in because of the inmate's persistence.