(CBS 8) - This story could go into the "San Diego's Dumbest Criminals" file. A Lakeside man goes to visit his son in a Colorado prison and ends up behind bars himself on suspicion of smuggling drugs.
Convicted felon Donald Curtis, 56, was arrested by FBI agents Friday at a Florence, Colo. federal lockup after plotting over a monitored phone with his imprisoned son for two months.
According to an FBI agent's report, Denney planned to smuggle a golf ball-sized chunk of black tar heroin he had wrapped in plastic and hid in his rectum.
Authorities say Denney was going to transfer the drugs by giving his 29-year-old son, who has the same first name, a mouth-to-mouth kiss during a visit.
"I felt so disgusted and would never imagine taking something out of my butt and putting it in my mouth in the first place, but to kiss my own child -- it wouldn't happen," neighbor Mike V. said.
Denney's son, known as the "Hard Hat Bandit", was serving a seven-year prison sentence for a three-week-long San Diego County bank robbery spree in September and October 2008 from Kearny Mesa to Alpine. Now he's facing more charges in the wake of the alleged smuggling conspiracy involving his father, who's now also behind bars.
As far as how much the pair could have gained if the transfer had been successful, phone transcripts from monitored calls in court records revealed this exchange:
Son: I can raise $7,000 before you know it.
Father: The business venture would come out to $16,000 altogether or more.
Son: $20,000 cash… $10,000 to you and $10,000 to me, no more no less… that's what I struck up.
"I don't see how they thought they wouldn't get caught, talking about it on multiple calls all summer on what exactly you're going to do," Mike said.
Colorado authorities say Donald Curtis Denney has pleaded not guilty to the possession and attempted distribution charges and will be returning to federal court next Monday.
