Prison Officer Jailed for Relationship With 'Latvian Pablo Escobar'

A prison officer has been jailed for eight months after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a drug dealer who styled himself as the 'Latvian Pablo Escobar'. Jahvine Kwamba, 21, was working at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire when she began a relationship with prisoner Roberts Sokolovs. Leicester Crown Court heard that Kwamba initiated contact with Sokolovs 1,367 times while he was held at the category C prison between 24 February and 3 June 2024. Sokolovs, who was imprisoned in 2022 for his involvement in the 'Jimmy Line' county lines drug ring operating between Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Lincoln, was later transferred to an immigration removal centre at Gatwick Airport in June 2024. Prosecution counsel Rawaid Javed told the court that sexually explicit photographs and messages were exchanged between the pair on Snapchat after this transfer.

The court heard that there were 5,441 contacts between Kwamba and Sokolovs on Snapchat while he was at HMP Fosse Way, and a further 4,211 contacts while he was at the removal centre. Kwamba denies any physical sexual contact, a claim the prosecution stated it was 'sceptical' about.