Jahvine Kwamba, a 21-year-old prison officer, has been sentenced to eight months in custody for forming a sexual relationship with inmate Roberts Sokolovs. Sokolovs, who was convicted in 2022 for his involvement in a drug ring, referred to himself as the 'Latvian Pablo Escobar.'
Kwamba and Sokolovs exchanged over 12,000 messages in less than four months while he was housed on the wing where she worked at HMP Fosse Way in Leicester. The relationship continued even after Sokolovs was transferred to an immigration removal center pending deportation.
During the course of their communication, Kwamba also received substantial sums of money from Sokolovs' mother and younger sister. Zita Sokolova, his mother, sent her £1,300, and Venera Sokolova, his sister, sent her £2,775. Additional funds were transferred after Sokolovs moved to the immigration removal center.
Kwamba pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and unauthorized transmission of an image or sound by electronic communication within a prison. Judge Tim Spencer KC stated that her actions "struck at the heart of the criminal justice system" and were "wholly inappropriate."
The judge noted Kwamba's training and awareness of the importance of maintaining high standards, but acknowledged she was "easy prey and easy pickings" for Sokolovs, who exploited her. The judge speculated that Kwamba, who was 19 when she met Sokolovs and working away from home for the first time, was likely lonely and displayed a significant level of naivety and immaturity.
Sokolovs, who was jailed for six years and two months in January 2023 for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, had been part of an organized network involved in moving heroin and crack cocaine between Lancashire and Lincoln.
Venera and Zita Sokolova also admitted to transmitting or causing the transmission of an image by electronic communications from within HMP Fosse Way without authorization, participating in calls with Roberts Sokolovs. Venera received a 12-month community order, while Zita was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £400 in costs. The judge told the mother and sister they came close to receiving custodial sentences themselves.
Kwamba was arrested in July 2024. Her defense counsel stated she is now working as a car rental company administrator and has completed a business qualification, expressing remorse for her actions. Prosecutors remained skeptical of Kwamba's claims that the pair never engaged in physical sexual activity.