Avila v. State

OPINION

MANNHEIMER, J.

In the summer of 1997, Sal Avila was an inmate at the Palmer Correctional Center. The state troopers and the Wasilla police ran a "sting" operation in an attempt to catch Avila distributing heroin at the prison. To carry out this scheme, the police enlisted another inmate, Dennis Cash, as a "false friend".

Cash owed Avila $150. Using a story worked out by the police, Cash told Avila that he would pay off this debt in the following way: Cash had a friend named "Rick" on the outside, and Rick owed money to Cash. Cash would put Avila in contact with Rick, and Rick would…