Five individuals who worked at the Rikers Island jail complex in New York City, along with one detainee, have been charged with corruption for smuggling contraband into the jail. The contraband included cellphones, oxycodone, marijuana, fentanyl, and a synthetic drug known as K2. Prosecutors stated that this corruption made Rikers Island less safe for both inmates and officers. The defendants were accused of engaging in corruption for their own financial gain.
During the time period when the defendants were smuggling drugs into the jail, visitation had ceased due to the pandemic, yet there was a rise in overdoses in the city’s jail system. In 2021, there were 113 overdoses in city jails that required a 911 call, a 55 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, in 2022, five out of 19 deaths in the jails or shortly after release were due to drug overdoses. This situation highlighted the dangers of the illegal smuggling of contraband into the prison.
In one of the complaints, it was alleged that a correction officer named Carlos Rivera had met with associates of a detainee to pick up contraband such as cellphones and drugs to bring into the jail. He was charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to distribute narcotics and controlled substances, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Another former correction officer, Chantal de los Santos, worked with inmates to bribe a counselor, Shanequa Washington, to smuggle contraband into the jail.
The complaints also detailed how de los Santos had bribed an employee of a contractor working at Rikers Island, named Kenneth Webster, to smuggle contraband into the jail. This included cigarettes, alcohol, cellphones, electronic tablets, and paper sheets soaked in controlled substances. Ms. Washington and Mr. Webster were both charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, with additional charges for Ms. Washington of conspiracy to commit bribery. This web of corruption involved multiple individuals working together to smuggle contraband into the jail.
Another former correction officer, Stephanie Davila, was accused of conspiring with an inmate to bribe another correction officer to bring in contraband such as fentanyl, marijuana, K2, cigarettes, and cellphones. Davila and the inmate were romantically involved and paid the other officer in cash to facilitate the smuggling. Both Davila and the inmate were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics and controlled substances. The other correction officer involved was a cooperating witness in the case.
Following the unsealing of the complaints, the New York City Department of Investigation issued recommendations for the Correction Department to improve security measures at Rikers Island. This included suggestions such as placing canine units at the staff entrance to screen correction officers for drugs and hiring contractors or external law enforcement to serve as front gate staff. These actions were taken in response to the ongoing issues and corruption within the troubled jail complex, which has faced scrutiny over high levels of violence and unsafe conditions for detainees.
