Bay Area
Former San Quentin Prison Guard Pleads Guilty in Cellphone Smuggling Operation
Former guard Keith Christopher, Isaiah Wells and Dustin Albini pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and bribery of a public official, according to federal prosecutors. The trio, along with Tanisa Smith-Symes who pleaded guilty earlier to the same charges, carried out a plan to smuggle a total of 25 phones into the prison in 2019 and 2020 for a prisoner identified only as “Inmate 1” in court documents, prosecutors said in a news release Monday.
By Bay City News
A former San Quentin State Prison guard and two others pleaded guilty Sept. 16 to charges in a scheme to smuggle cellphones onto death row, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former guard Keith Christopher, Isaiah Wells and Dustin Albini pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and bribery of a public official, according to federal prosecutors.
The trio, along with Tanisa Smith-Symes who pleaded guilty earlier to the same charges, carried out a plan to smuggle a total of 25 phones into the prison in 2019 and 2020 for a prisoner identified only as “Inmate 1” in court documents, prosecutors said in a news release Monday.
Smith-Symes was in a romantic relationship with the inmate who received the phones so he could sell them to other prisoners.
Prosecutors said she paid bribes of $5,000 and $6,500 to Albini and Wells and that Christopher collected the money and delivered the phones to the inmate.
The defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a 20-year maximum sentence and a $250,000 fine, and two counts of bribery of a public official, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence and a $250,000 fine.
Christopher and Wells are scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 13, 2023, and Albini and Smith-Symes are scheduled for status hearings on Sept. 15, 2023.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of March 11 -17, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 11 – 17, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
WORK FROM HOME
Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540
Black Artists in America, Installation Three Wraps at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens
Grief, Advocacy, and Education: A Counselor Reflects on Black Maternal Health
Future of Florida’s Black History Museum in Limbo
New Research Shows the Many Benefits of Early Learning
South Hampton K-8 Students Among Top 10 Finalists for Samsung’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ Competition
Cuba: No Negotiation with US on the President or Political System
Brooklyn Academy of Music Names Jamaican-Born Tamara McCaw as President
Trinidad & Tobego – U.S. Launches WhatsApp Channel for American Citizens in the Country
Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026
AI Innovation vs. Ethics and Environmental Impact
AI, Web3, and Digital Reparations
What If You Owned Your AI Agent?
Season 7, Episode 3 – January Reporter’s Roundtable 📱
Season 7, Episode 3 – January Reporter’s Roundtable
AI, Media, and Power | Part 2, Real-World Impacts and Tradeoffs
Discrimination in City Contracts
Oakland Post: Week of February 11 – 17, 2026
Reflecting on Black History Milestones in Birmingham AL
Rising Optimism Among Small And Middle Market Business Leaders Suggests Growth for California
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III
Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026
PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative
Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026
Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms
U.S. manufacturing rebounds – how foundry services are adapting to rising demand
OP-ED: One Hundred Years of Black Workers Telling the Truth
Advancements in solar technology that are changing the way we power the world
Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs
Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care
PRESS ROOM: Civil Rights TV Launches in Selma as the World’s First 24/7 Civil Rights Television Network
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Parking, Safety, and 360 View #shorts
2025 Ioniq 5 New Wiper & Powerful Performance! #shorts
Electric SUV Range: Is 259 Miles Enough? #shorts
EV Charging: How Fast Can You Charge an Electric Vehicle? #shorts
Biometric Cooling… Messaging Seats…Come on! 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph 4WD
Charged Up: Witness the Magic of a Fully Electric Car! #shorts
Range Rover Sport PHEV Included…: See What’s Inside This Luxury SUV! #shorts
Invisible Hood View: Perfect Parking with X-Ray Vision! #shorts
AI Is Reshaping Black Healthcare: Promise, Peril, and the Push for Improved Results in California
ESSAY: Technology and Medicine, a Primary Care Point of View
Sanctuary Cities
The RESISTANCE – FREEDOM NOW
STATE OF THE PEOPLE: Freddie
ECONOMIC BOYCOTT DAY!!!!!
I told You So
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks agoReflecting on Black History Milestones in Birmingham AL
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks agoPRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative
-
Activism4 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks agoTrump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks agoPoll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care
-
Activism3 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoWoman’s Search for Family’s Roots Leads to Ancestor John T. Ward – A Successful Entrepreneur and Conductor on the Underground Railroad
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoOP-ED: NNPA Launches 2026 “Leadership Matters” Video Series
