ST. CROIX — A man was sentenced to 56 months of imprisonment on May 22 after a homemade knife or “shank” and a cellphone were found inside his prison cell, U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe has made known through a press release issued on Tuesday.
The sentence was handed to Gregoire George, 37, by District Court of the Virgin Islands Chief Justice Wilma A. Lewis, who also ordered George to serve the sentence consecutively to the sentence he was serving at the time he committed the offense.
The cellphone and shank were discovered on June 13, 2014, after Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility Bureau of Corrections (BOC) officials conducted a search of George’s prison cell.
“Contraband in prison threatens the safety and security of inmates, employees, and the community as a whole,” U.S. Attorney Sharpe said. “Cell phones, in particular, can be used to facilitate criminal activity inside and outside of Golden Grove including narcotics distribution and murder.”
George was sentenced to 34 months in prison for possessing a shank, 10 months for possessing a cell phone, and 12 months for promoting prison contraband — a total of 56 months — all to be served concurrently.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and BOC. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy.
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