Photo: Olena Ruban / Moment / Getty Images
Juel Perez De Leon, brother-in-law of San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, is facing criminal charges for allegedly growing and smoking marijuana inside County Jail Number Three, where he worked as a plumber. De Leon had been employed by the jail system since 1999, well before Miyamoto took office in 2020.
The incident came to light in 2022 when a fellow plumber reported finding De Leon smoking cannabis in a maintenance area. According to an incident report, De Leon reportedly replied, "I'm a bad boy," when asked to stop. Further investigation revealed rumors that De Leon might be cultivating marijuana plants in a locker at the jail, with reports of grow lights and starter plants being seen in the facility.
De Leon was charged with two misdemeanor burglary counts for allegedly entering the jail with the intent to commit larceny or a felony, and one count related to cultivating marijuana. He pleaded no contest to the marijuana charge, and the burglary charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. De Leon denied the allegations, claiming it was a misunderstanding.
Sheriff Miyamoto was not involved in the investigation due to his familial ties with De Leon. However, once informed of the situation, Miyamoto took immediate action to terminate De Leon's employment. De Leon's lawyer, Ace Lipton, stated that his client was a medical marijuana user and emphasized that the familial relationship did not influence the case.