Former Los Angeles deputy sentenced for smuggling heroin in Pringles cans

A former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy has been sentenced to 67 months in federal prison for attempting to smuggle drugs into a jail where he worked. The New York Post reported that 40 year old Michael Meiser of Lancaster, California, attempted to move more than a pound of heroin for a 15,000 dollar payout. [1]

According to the New York Post, the Department of Justice announced the sentencing on Thursday. Meiser hid the narcotics inside two cans of potato chips to carry out the smuggling scheme inside the jail facility. [1]

Meiser pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. The sentencing sends the former officer to federal prison for a term of more than five years. [1]

Pringles were first introduced by Procter and Gamble in 1968 as stackable potato chips. The brand was acquired by Kellogg Company in 2012, before Kellanova was bought by Mars Incorporated in 2024. [3][4]