Mark, Christopher Zeiter: Brothers sentenced for smuggling drugs into Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre, Berkshire Park

An elaborate scheme between two brothers to smuggle drugs, toothbrushes and steroid pills into a western Sydney prison has been revealed in court.

An elaborate scheme between two brothers to smuggle drugs, toothbrushes and steroid pills into a western Sydney prison has been revealed in court.

Mark Zeiter, 38, and his brother Christopher Zeiter, 34, of Mortdale, appeared in Penrith Local Court on Friday to be sentenced for drug supply linked to their ill-fated scheme

During 2019 and 2020, the Mark Zeiter was a prisoner at the Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre in Berkshire Park and was told by a truck driver he could smuggle in goods for cash, according to court documents.

Mark Zeiter.

Chris Zeiter.

From May to July in 2020, Chris Zeiter and the driver exchanged a number of messages which discussed meeting and payments being made to the driver.

Police began to intercept text messages between the 34-year-old and the driver, with an exchange on July 7 detailing how the driver asked Chris Zeiter if there was “anything to take”. Zeiter replied: ““I’ll pick up everything tonight and tomorrow I’ll come see you”.

Police officers watched on as the two men met in a supermarket car park about 10:30pm and Chris Zeiter handed over 49.9g buprenorphine in balloons and 28.1g methandienone tablets in this exchange.

About 1:30am the next day, the driver was arrested in the prison car park and was found with prohibited items including drugs, tobacco and toothbrushes.

The Zeiter brothers outside court on Friday.

When his phone was searched, messages between the driver and Chris Zeiter detailed a number of occasions in which payment was made for items to be smuggled into the prison.

Court documents reveal the driver was paid a $1200 for his trouble.

The lawyer of the Zeiter duo asked Magistrate Stephen Corry to not send the brothers to prison and argued that they have a low risk of reoffending.

“Had the correctives employee never approached my client, this would never have occurred but my client accepts he offended by agreeing to the proposal,” the lawyer said.

The police prosecutor told the court an example needed to be made.

“The introduction of drugs to this environment defeats the whole purpose of correctional reform,” he said. “There is a need for general deterrence.”

Mark Zeiter, who the court heard had a criminal history was sentenced to six months jail to be served as an intensive corrections order in the community.

Christopher Zeiter, who was being sentenced for his first criminal act, was convicted and placed on an 18-month community corrections order.