A prison guard from Contra Costa County is among three people facing charges of conspiring to smuggle 25 mobile phones into San Quentin State Prison in Marin County.
Keith Christopher, 37, of Pittsburg, and 32-year-old Isaiah Wells, of Tracy, appeared in federal court Wednesday in San Francisco to face charges of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud using interstate wires.
A third person in the scheme — 45-year-old Tanisa Smith-Symes, of Las Vegas, Nevada — was set to appear in federal court Thursday in Las Vegas.
Their appearances were reported In a news release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Christopher, a corrections officer at San Quentin, is accused of conspiring with the co-defendants to smuggle mobile phones into the prison’s east block, which houses condemned prisoners. The accusations include that Smith-Symes was in a relationship with a prisoner and shipped mobile phones to Wells to give to Christopher, who smuggled them into the prison.
Mobile phones are considered contraband by state law.
The trio are accused of smuggling at least 25 mobile phones inside the prison block to prisoners, who paid up to $900 each. Prosecutors allege that Christopher’s take was $500 per phone.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Christopher and Wells were released on bond and are scheduled to next appear in federal court on Sept. 17.
37 pittsburgh
wow go figure
never would have thought
Where are prisoners getting $900!
Oh …maybe these guards are also the ones that signed prisoners up for phony unemployment payments from the EDD and that billion dollar scandal.
You’d be surprise how much these prisoners get in and out of these places! and yup I am sure the some guards were def in on the scams!!
They probably have friends and family pay for them.
Selling weed of course … duh!
Anyone surprised by this?! LOL This has been happening for many many years…just the unlucky ones to get caught I guess.
Its always the ‘insiders’ who are the real shady criminals but just wear a badge.
People in positions of power, who break laws of this nature, should get triple time in prison!
Agree. Holders of California Commercial Driver’s Licenses are subjected to a whole menu of increased fines and penalties, from moving violations to double fines for handicapped zones. DUI at .04%. Even on your own time. The enhanced penalties link to the license, not whether you’re on the clock. Fair and just country that this is, I assume that police officers are subject to double penalties for breaking laws of relevance to their profession, which would be pretty much all of them. Prison guards guilty of conspiring to compromise the security of a prison should be used to test whatever method of execution is in vogue.
It’s unfortunate that the FCC refuses to allow prisons to install short-range cellphone jammers. Of course the guards would probably disable them anyway to preserve their extra tax-free income.
Guards probably wished they got the Epstein guard treatment. 100 hours of community service.. For those who forgot, Epstein was the perv pimp to the rich. He Hanged himself and also broke three bones in his neck while his guards were sleeping..Additionally key video cameras were broken. Some crazy people seem to think there was a conspiracy
Epstein committed Arkancide
Lucky for the guards that the only thing anyone found out about was some cell phones. Last I heard, guards are the main way contraband, of all sorts, gets into prisons.
Another one of California’s brightest…
If you can get a state-paid sex change in prison, why can’t you get a state paid cell phone?
$500 a phone that’s it? Lol. What low level scam chumps those guards were. So lose your career and get charged with a felony for basically pennies? They would have been better off selling weed. Way easier to smuggle
The prison guard is making $140,000 a year and selling phones?
Brilliant!
If found guilty, take his job, pension, and medical care away!
Do Not Pass Go.
Do Not Collect $200
“Christopher and Wells were released on bond and are scheduled to next appear in federal court on Sept. 17”
20 years & $250 K fine?
I see a couple guys heading off to Rio or Tongo or ??? for a permanent vacation.
Their names ID the action for fellow “brothers”!!
Cell phones fall under FCC jurisdiction so shouldn’t it become a Federal crime?? Federal pokey and min. $250,00 fine?
Strange call it “honest services fraud”, what type of fraud is honest?