Ex-guard, three others plead guilty to San Quentin death row smuggling operation

SAN FRANCISCO - A former prison guard and two others pleaded guilty Friday to multiple charges related to a smuggling operation at San Quentin State Prison's death row.

The Department of Justice charged two 38-year-old Pittsburg residents, former prison guard Keith Christopher and Dustin Albini, as well as 33-year-old Tracy resident Isaiah Wells with bribery of a public official and conspiring to smuggle numerous cell phones into San Quentin State Prison in Marin County. 

Another defendant, 46-year-old Las Vegas resident Tanisa Smith-Symes, had already pleaded guilty before Friday's hearing.

Justice officials noted that "each defendant entered a plea agreement admitting their own participation in the criminal conspiracy."

Authorities originally charged all four defendants on Sept, 29 2021 for an operation they'd been running for about two years. Investigators say Christopher, a guard in San Quentin's death row, worked with the other three to smuggle cell phones to inmates. According to the DOJ, "cell phones are deemed contraband for prisoners in all parts of the prison as they create safety and security risks for prison employees and other inmates. The California Code of Regulations accordingly prohibits prisoners from possessing cell phones."

Christopher admitted to the crimes in his plea agreement, saying on two different occasions he helped arrange for several cell phones to be smuggled into Death Row, to be given to an inmate there, who the DOJ did not identify. That inmate would then sell the phones to other inmates there. 

The former prison guard received almost $12,000 for smuggling in 25 cell phones over two occasions. Smith-Symes handled the money and mailed the cell phones to Albini's and Wells' addresses. Smith-Symes also admitted to starting the operation after she began a relationship with the unknown inmate, who also paid for the phones.

"Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in violation of 18 USC §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.  Each defendant also pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery of a public official in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(2), which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine," the DOJ wrote in a press release.

U.S. District Judge Illston, who heard the defendants' pleas, scheduled sentencing hearings for Christopher and Wells for Jan. 13, 2023, and set status hearings for Albini and Smith-Symes for Sept. 15, 2023.