Carpenter fined for sneaking cigarettes into city jail

Gownauth Geer
Gownauth Geer

A carpenter was yesterday fined $60,000 after he admitted to taking four packets of cigarettes, hidden in his long boots, into the Camp Street Prison.

Gownauth Geer, 41, pleaded guilty to the charge that on May 25, at the Georgetown Prison, he carried in the prohibited items.

According to Geer, he took the prohibited items into the prison compound because he was uncertain how things worked there. He then went on to state that he placed the items in his long boots because his pants pockets were wet but then he changed his story and said it was because he had no pockets.

The court heard that Geer, who was working as a carpenter at the prison, left the facility to purchase to materials. It was stated that when he returned to the prison compound and a search was conducted on him, the packets of cigarettes were found in both boots. Geer was arrested and later admitted that a prisoner, called ‘Africano,’ gave him the money to purchase the cigarettes.

He was subsequently fined $60,000, with a default sentence of 12 months in jail if he is unable to pay.