Christian Gomez was sentenced after his crimes were exposed
HMP Forest Bank(Image: Manchester Evening News)
A former prison officer who was jailed for smuggling £15,000 worth of drugs and tobacco into HMP Forest Bank has now been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds. Christian Gomez, 40, was sentenced to two years and four months behind bars after pleading guilty to conveying illegal articles into prison.
Gomez appeared in court again on Friday, August 15 where a confiscation order of £6,220.19 was agreed. While the defence argued he was just a courier and not responsible for the full £15,000 value of the drugs, financial checks revealed unexplained cash deposits in his bank account over seven months, pointing to broader involvement.
The court heard that North West Regional Organised Crime Unit’s (NWROCU) prison anti-corruption unit pursued confiscation proceedings against Gomez due to his criminal activity.
Gomez, of East Street, Rochdale, must now pay the full £6,220.19 within three months or face a default sentence of three months.
Ali Peacock, senior financial investigator at the NWROCU, said: “This case sends a clear and powerful message, corruption at any level does not pay.
“Gomez may have thought he could profit from smuggling contraband into prison, but not only was he caught and jailed, he’s now being stripped of the money he made.
“Even after conviction, our work doesn’t stop. We will continue to investigate and recover criminal assets to ensure offenders do not benefit from their crimes.”
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