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9 present and former New York Metropolis Division of Correction staff had been arrested at this time for allegedly smuggling contraband, together with razor blades, scalpels, and unlawful medication, into metropolis jails in alternate for money at varied intervals over the past three years. One counselor at Rikers allegedly made greater than $40,000 from the unlawful deliveries. Many of the others are accused of taking between $5,000 and $8,000 in bribes.
In line with newly unsealed indictments, introduced by federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York, all 9 staff presently work or beforehand labored at Rikers Island and the Manhattan Detention Complicated, colloquially known as “The Tombs.”
“These defendants had been answerable for sustaining a protected and orderly surroundings in New York Metropolis’s jails,” stated U.S. Legal professional Audrey Strauss. “As an alternative, as alleged, they abused their positions to complement themselves by smuggling weapons, medication, and different harmful contraband in return for 1000’s of {dollars} of money bribes. This alleged exercise violated the defendants’ duties, and endangered the inmates they had been charged to oversee and guard.”
Authorities took seven of the defendants into custody in New York. The 2 others had been arrested in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
In a press release, New York Metropolis Division Of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett thanked federal prosecutors and the FBI for serving to her company perform “these vital investigations.”
“Correction officers and employees ought to defend the integrity of the jails, not promote lawlessness and violence by accepting bribes in return for trafficking medication, scalpels, razor blades, cell telephones, and different contraband – all extremely valued, unlawful objects that undermine order within the jails and compromise the protection of different correction officers and inmates,” stated Garnett.
The defendant accused of taking on $40,000 in bribes was a 41-year outdated counselor at Rikers Island. Federal prosecutors allege she made her cash smuggling in K2 and different contraband from roughly June of 2019 to September of 2020. A 35-year outdated Manhattan Detention Complicated correction officer allegedly took dwelling not less than $6,000 in money bringing in scalpels, K2, cellphones, and cigarettes for a number of months between 2019 and 2020.
All 9 defendants face a number of costs, together with sincere companies wire fraud, which carries a most sentence of twenty years of jail if convicted.
The Division of Correction didn’t reply to inquiries in regards to the present employment standing of the defendants. The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Affiliation didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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