PRISON officer Glen Lewis, who was found guilty of two 2007 drug offences, was yesterday sentenced to a total of six years imprisonment.

But he will only serve three years, as Magistrate Geeta Chandan Edmond-Persid ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Lewis was convicted, two weeks ago, of trafficking 38 grammes of cannabis (marijuana) at New Amsterdam Prison in Berbice and introducing the narcotic to the penitentiary.

Along with the custodial penalties, the married father of a two-year-old child was fined $25,000 with the alternative of 40 more days in jail.

Police Inspector Satrohan Dayaram, prosecuting, said on December 7, 2007, Lewis reported for duty at New Amsterdam Prison and entered the compound through the main entrance, where all persons, including prison officers, are subjected to searches conducted by a senior officer.

The Prosecutor said a search on the person of Lewis yielded a parcel in socks under one foot and, when opened, contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems of the prohibited plant.

The trafficker was told of the offence and opted to remain silent, the Court heard.

Lewis, who had initially denied the allegations, changed his plea to guilty yesterday.

In a plea of mitigation, Defence Counsel Charrandass Persaud, on whose return to the jurisdiction sentence was pending, said the convict, 26, has a wife who is seven months pregnant.

The lawyer, who took over the case when other attorney-at-law Mr. Rupert Trim died, said, by pleading guilty, Lewis has saved the Court a lot of financial and human resources.

But the magistrate told Lewis: “You are not Tom Jones. You are Glen Lewis, a prison officer…drug trafficking eats away the moral fabric of the society…it’s prevalent…a lure for easy money… in my opinion, you should have exercised better judgement,” Magistrate Chandan Edmond Persid told the prisoner.