Confiscation order secured against former Prison Officer who smuggled contraband into HMP Forest Bank

A former Prison Custody Officer who was jailed for smuggling drugs and tobacco into HMP Forest Bank has now been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Christian Gomez, 40, of East Street, Rochdale, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison in May 2024 after pleading guilty to conveying illegal articles into prison. Last week (Friday 15 August), he appeared in court again where a confiscation order of £6,220.19 was agreed.

The court heard that NWROCU’s Prison Anti-Corruption Unit pursued confiscation proceedings against Gomez due to his criminal activity. 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.

Gomez 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."