San Diego County prison inmate Shawn Brown, who is at the center of a bribery trial involving the smuggling of diamond and gold dental "grill" into Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and the bribery of a former guard, was in federal court on Wednesday to learn his fate.
During the legal proceedings on Wednesday, the inmate, also known as HighClassJefe and BSmash, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in the case.
Brown, who was originally sent to Donovan after a conviction for first degree murder, pleaded guilty in connection with the case in November of last year and agreed to forfeit all property seized in the case, including the white-diamond encrusted grill that was purchased with ill-gotten gains.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, told NBC 7 that more than $30,000 in payments were involved in the overall scheme to bribe the guard and pay for the grill.
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"At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo ordered Brown to turn over the grill to the government as part of his forfeiture agreement," read a news release sent out Wednesday. "Brown had opposed the request, arguing that he was unable to remove the grill because it was glued to his teeth. The government referred to a jail surveillance video that showed that the grill was, in fact, removable. In ... jail surveillance video, Brown was seen removing the grill from his mouth and putting it back in."
Last month, the guard, Benito Jamar Hugie, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the case after pleading guilty to accepting thousands of dollars to smuggle the grill, other jewelry and a cell phone into the San Diego County prison for Brown.
According to Hugie's plea agreement, Brown used a contraband cellphone to arrange the purchase of a custom bejeweled dental grill from a Texas-based jeweler. The guard brought dental molds into the prison, then smuggled the imprinted molds out, which were then delivered to the jeweler. Afterward, Brown smuggled the completed grill in for Brown, according to his plea agreement.
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At his sentencing hearing, Hugie said what occurred was "truly idiotic" and said, "I've lost so much, be it from family or friends."
Bencivengo said during Hugie's sentencing 'that while the gravity of the offense was undercut by the "ridiculousness of the contraband involved," she said the situation "sets a tone that undermines the entire system."
It's possible the grill came to the attention of prosecutors when a video was posted on YouTube. According to the clip's dateline, the video was uploaded in October 2020. Stills captured from the clip were included in court documents regarding the forfeiture of the grill.
“Diamonds are not always your friend,” U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath was quoted in the news release sent out on Wednesday. “These schemes have cost Brown years of his life and Hugie his career and good name. Maybe regular teeth would have been a better option.”
Brown's brothers Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger were also charged in the case, with court documents stating they delivered payments to Hugie and the jeweler. The pair were each sentenced to credit for time served.
Brown also faced charges in another case for allegedly taking nearly $700,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits while he was in custody at the prison. Prosecutors allege Brown and others used stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with the state's Employment Development Department and received funds intended for people who need food and/or housing assistance as a result of the pandemic. A separate four-year sentence was handed down Wednesday to Brown for his role in that scheme, and he was also ordered to repay the state of California $550,000 in restitution.
Bencivengo ordered that Wednesday's two federal sentences be served consecutively to each other and to the original underlying state sentence.
