PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Robinson, a/k/a Slick, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for conspiring with others to smuggle contraband into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia.
In October 2021, the defendant was convicted by a jury on charges of conspiracy and possession of contraband in prison, stemming from a 2020 incident caught on security recordings. In April 2020, staff at the FDC observed a man outside the prison, attaching items to a line. Security camera footage showed a rope being pulled up the side of the building facing Arch Street. Upon searching the cell from which the rope emanated, officers found two cellmates along with quantities of Suboxone, cocaine, tobacco, methamphetamine tablets, marijuana, a SIM card, and an inoperable cell phone. Both men were charged and convicted for possessing contraband in prison. Meanwhile, further investigation revealed that they did not act alone. Specifically, investigators discovered that another FDC inmate, defendant Robinson, had aided them in their smuggling operation from his own cell by arranging, via a contraband cell phone, for the drugs to be brought to the FDC.
“Maintaining the secure environment of federal correctional facilities is paramount to the safety of staff and inmates and the pursuit of justice in an effort to deter future criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “In this case, instead of learning from previous mistakes, the defendant couldn’t help himself and committed another crime by smuggling contraband into the facility. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of lawless behavior.”
“Talk about a brazen smuggling scheme, using a line lowered right down to Arch Street,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Introducing contraband into prisons can put corrections staff, inmates, and even the community at risk. Robinson was a key partner in this conspiracy and is being held appropriately accountable. It’s imperative to keep our correctional facilities safe and secure.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Damiani.