Leicestershire prison officer sentenced for starting relationship with 'Latvian Pablo Escobar' in jail

A prison officer has been jailed after starting a relationship with a drug dealer while he was imprisoned there.

Jahvine Kwamba, 21, began seeing prisoner Roberts Sokolovs - who called himself the 'Latvian Pablo Escobar' - while working at the Category C HMP Fosse Way prison in Leicestershire on 24 February 2024.

From that date to 3 June that year, Leicester Crown Court heard the former prison officer initiated contact with him 1,367 times.

She was arrested in July 2024 and previously pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office.

Handing sentence on Friday, Judge Timothy Spencer KC said he believed Kwamba was "pretty lonely and vulnerable" as a then-19-year-old, adding: "You were easy prey and easy pickings for Roberts, who obviously decided he could exploit you."

He added that it was "implicit that you were of good character," but said "You had extensive training, it was drummed into you the importance of high standards, professional contact and maintaining integrity."

"It is a tragedy you have thrown it all away," the judge then said. "Your life has been turned upside down, your life has been on hold for two years.

"Your prospects, if not for this case, would have been promising."

Kwamba was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Prisoner jailed for county lines drug trade

Sokolovs was imprisoned for drug-related matters in 2022 due to his involvement in a county lines drug ring called the Jimmy Line, between Skelmersdale in Lancashire and Lincoln.

Because he was deported to Latvia in November 2024, Sokolovs was never interviewed about his relationship with Kwamba.

The court heard, however, that Sokolova had access to a mobile phone while in prison: Prosecution counsel Rawaid Javed said that sexually explicit photographs and messages were sent between the pair.

He said these communications happened after Sokolovs was sent to an immigration removal centre at Gatwick Airport in June 2024.

He added there had been 4,211 contacts between them while Sokolovs was at the removal centre. While at HMP Fosse Way, there were 5,441 contacts between the two on Snapchat.

From 18 March to 2 July, Kwamba also received five payments from Sokolovs's mother Zita Sokolova, 53, totalling £1,495, and received 18 payments totalling £4,665 in the same period by his 20-year-old sister Venera Sokolova.

Kwamba also sent seven payments, totalling £660, to the inmate's sister from 27 March to 1 July.

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'Well in over her head'

Sam Ponniah, defending Kwamba, said the former prison officer had shown "significant levels of naivety and immaturity" and had been "well in over her head" when she was put in charge of 64 prisoners despite being a prison officer for around four months.

"She speaks about the fact when she first got this job, being away from home, she was in an area she was unfamiliar with and living by herself," he said.

"She has real and substantiated remorse for her actions, it is clear from her letter that one of the things that weighs heavily on her is ruining a job she thought she was doing well at… she knows she has thrown that all away."

Mr Ponniah said Kwamba had since worked at a car rental company.

Sokolovs's mum and sister avoid jail

Zita and Venera Sokolova were also sentenced on Friday: The mum was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for one year and ordered to pay £400 costs.

The sister of the inmate was given a 12-month community order with a requirement to attend 15 probation appointments.

Judge Spencer said to the Sokolovas: "What you did was extremely serious. Allowing illicit phone contact with a prisoner is fundamentally wrong.

"You must have known you were contributing to that but you will both go home tonight."

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