Jury Convicts Gregoire George Of Possession Of Prison Contraband Charges

St. Croix, USVI B After a three-day trial, a federal jury on St. Croix convicted Gregoire George, 37, of St. Thomas, of two counts of Possession of Prison Contraband and one count of Promoting Prison Contraband announced United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, , Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent-in-Charge Vito S. Guarino, and United States Marshal Cheryl Jacobs.

The top count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. George remains incarcerated pending sentencing. No sentencing date has been set.

Evidence presented at trial established that on June 14, 2013, while an inmate at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility on St. Croix, George was found to be in possession of a cellular phone and a homemade weapon commonly referred to as a shank. Both prohibited items were found inside his cell by Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections Officers.

"Contraband in prison is something that threatens the safety and security of inmates, employees, and the community as whole. Inmates in possession of cellular telephones present a particularly sinister threat as they can be used to facilitate criminal activity including narcotics distribution and murder, " U.S. Attorney Sharpe said.

United States Attorney Sharpe commended the efforts of the DEA, USMS and the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections who investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Rami S. Badawy and Everard Potter who prosecuted it.