Former San Quentin prison guard sentenced for smuggling phones onto death row
SAN QUENTIN – A former guard at San Quentin State Prison was sentenced Friday to federal prison after he was convicted for smuggling phones onto death row, prosecutors said.
According to Northern California U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds' office, 38-year-old Keith Christopher of Pittsburg received a 20-month sentence for his role in the conspiracy. In September, Christopher pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of accepting bribes.
Prosecutors said Christopher admitted in his plea agreement that he accepted payments for smuggling at least 25 phones and accessories, such as chargers, to a condemned inmate in the prison's East Block, also known as death row. The inmate then sold many of the devices to other inmates.
State law bans inmates from possessing phones over concerns that they raise safety and security risks for guards, other inmates and the public at large, particularly when the devices are used to direct criminal activity outside prison, prosecutors said.
In court documents, Christopher admitted that starting in 2019, he orchestrated a conspiracy involving the inmate and several co-conspirators outside the prison.
The plea agreement described instances where Christopher received bribes in exchange for smuggling the phones into San Quentin. In the first case, the inmate arranged for 10 phones to be shipped to an associate in Nevada in December 2019, who delivered the phones to the guard.
Prosecutors said Christopher admitted to texting the associate that he would smuggle the phones into San Quentin for $5,000 and that the money should be sent through Venmo and Walmart money transfers.
Christopher also admitted to a second instance in May of 2020 where he smuggled an additional 15 phones into the prison for $6,500.
On September 29, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Christopher, along with 32-year-old Isaiah Wells of Tracy, 46-year-old Tanisa Smith-Symes of Las Vegas, Nevada and 37-year-old Dustin Albini in connection with the conspiracy.
During Friday's sentencing, the judge also ordered Christopher to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Prosecutors said Christopher was ordered to surrender on or before May 25.
