Shevron Percival, 25, pleaded guilty Thursday in District Court on St. Croix to one count of possession of prison contraband, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
As part of his plea, Percival admitted that on Oct. 26, 2012, he was an inmate at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility when Bureau of Corrections officers discovered a cellular telephone tied up in the waist string of basketball shorts he was wearing.
Cellular telephones are prohibited contraband in correctional facilities, Sharpe said in his announcement, because prisoners can use them to intimidate witnesses, orchestrate narcotics transactions and facilitate other criminal activity.
Possession of prison contraband carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9.
The case was investigated by Corrections and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy.
