St. Croix Man Sentenced To 37 Months In Prison For Possession Of Prison Contraband

St. Croix – Chief District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis, on Thursday sentenced Paul Girard, 27, to 37 months in prison for possession of prison contraband, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced via press release on Friday.

Judge Lewis ordered Girard to serve the sentence consecutively to a separate sentence imposed by the Superior Court on March 3, 2015.

Girard pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of prison contraband on January 9, 2015. The charges stemmed from cell searches conducted by members of Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility’s Gang Intelligence Search Team on November 16, 2012; January 16, 2013; and June 18, 2013, as well as a search conducted by federal law enforcement officers on April 7, 2014, while Girard was an inmate. The officers discovered and seized cell phones, a knife, and a homemade weapon or “shank” during the searches.

“Contraband in prison threatens the safety and security of inmates, employees, and the community as a whole,” 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.”

Girard was sentenced on two counts each to 12 months in prison for possessing cell phones, 37 months for possessing a knife, and 37 months for possessing a shank, all to be served concurrently. The Court also sentenced Girard to one year of supervised release on each of the cellular telephone counts and to three years of supervised release on each of the weapon counts to run concurrently. Finally, the Court ordered Girard to pay a special assessment of $250.00.

The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Alphonso Andrews.