NEW YORK — Nine corrections workers took bribes to smuggle drugs and weapons — including scalpels and razors — into city jails, prosecutors charged Wednesday.
One correction officer, Miguel Compres, 35, allegedly took more than $6,000 in bribes in exchange for sneaking scalpels, cellphones, cigarrettes and the synthetic marijuana K2 into the Manhattan Detention Complex in lower Manhattan.
“These defendants were responsible for maintaining a safe and orderly environment in New York City’s jails. Instead, as alleged, they abused their positions to enrich themselves by smuggling weapons, drugs, and other dangerous contraband in return for thousands of dollars of cash bribes. This alleged activity violated the defendants’ duties, and endangered the inmates they were charged to supervise and guard,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said.
The bust comes weeks after a federal monitor slammed the city Department of Correction for “deeply dysfunctional” mismanagement of Rikers Island. Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann will leave her job at the end of the month.
Correction officer Tameka Lewis allegedly made the most money out of the bribery scheme, earning $40,000 by smuggling K2 and other contraband into the Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Rikers Island between June 2019 and September 2020.
The other correction officers charged were Dariel Diaz, Jasmine Reed, Temaine Pelzer, Brian Harrell, Rashawn Assanah, Robert Balducci and Johnathan Garrett.
“These charged crimes involving contraband smuggling and bribery by City Correction officers and employees reflect the pernicious and damaging impact of corruption. Correction officers and staff should protect the integrity of the jails, not promote lawlessness and violence by accepting bribes in return for trafficking drugs, scalpels, razor blades, cell phones, and other contraband – all highly valued, illegal items that undermine order in the jails and compromise the safety of other correction officers and inmates,” Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett said.
