San Diego County deputy accused of bringing cocaine onto jail property

SAN DIEGO —  A sheriff’s deputy has been arrested after authorities said they found cocaine in his car at a San Diego County jail.

Deputy Allen Wereski, 48, was booked into jail Friday on suspicion of bringing drugs onto jail property, sheriff’s officials said in a news release. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, according to online jail records.

“We are grateful to the sheriff’s detectives who worked quickly and diligently on this case,” officials said in the statement. “The investigation is still ongoing, so limited information is available at this time.”

Sheriff’s officials said Wereski was suspended from the department without pay. They did not reveal at which jail the offense allegedly occurred.

It is not clear whether Wereski worked inside the jail or was on patrol.

“The safety of our jails is dependent upon keeping drugs from entering our facilities and we will not tolerate misconduct from our employees,” the department said in the news release.

The department added that it will investigate and hold employees accountable “for any misconduct or potential criminal behavior.”

An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday in Superior Court in downtown San Diego.

Wereski’s arrest comes about a month after the department arrested a sheriff’s deputy suspected of taking prescription drugs from a drop box at a sheriff’s station.

Deputy Cory Richey, 39, pleaded not guilty in San Diego County Superior Court to burglary and drug possession charges.

During Richey’s arraignment on Jan. 10, Deputy Dist. Atty. Cal Logan said the deputy accessed a patrol station after hours on several occasions and took medications from a box where community members can dispose of prescription drugs.

Like Wereski, he was suspended without pay. The case is ongoing.

In June 2021, former Deputy Jaylen Fleer was sentenced to 12 years in state prison for illegal sex acts with a 14-year-old girl and interactions on social media with dozens of other teenage girls.

In March 2021, former Capt. Marco Garmo was sentenced to two years in prison for selling “off-roster” law-enforcement-only firearms to the public.

In 2019, former Deputy Richard Fischer was sentenced to 44 months in jail after pleading guilty to four felony assault charges. More than 15 women had accused him of sexual assault in interactions that occurred after he responded to calls or pulled the women over in their vehicles.