Taxstone, the once-prominent hip-hop podcaster, is facing additional legal troubles while serving a 35-year prison sentence for his role in the fatal 2016 shooting at Irving Plaza. The Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) inmate has been hit with new charges related to contraband smuggling, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced on March 6, 2025.
Contraband Smuggling Allegations
Authorities allege that Taxstone, whose real name is Daryl Campbell, worked alongside five other inmates to smuggle drugs, cigarettes, a scalpel, and other banned items into MDC between April and June 2024. The scheme reportedly involved inmates using a makeshift rope system to retrieve contraband from outside the facility.
A press release from federal prosecutors detailed how recordings from an illegal cell phone captured Taxstone explaining his method of throwing a “line” out of an MDC window, allowing an accomplice on the outside to attach contraband, which could then be pulled back inside.
Authorities disrupted the plan on June 30, 2024, when correctional officers intercepted a package tied to the rope. The confiscated items included:
- Suboxone (a drug used to treat opioid addiction)
- Marijuana
- A scalpel
- A phone charger
- Lighters and cigarettes
If convicted on the new charges, Taxstone could have another 10 years added to his current prison sentence.
Wider Crackdown at MDC
Taxstone is one of eight inmates at MDC Brooklyn charged with contraband-related offenses. A former correctional officer is also accused of attempting to smuggle marijuana and cigarettes into the facility…