In a crackdown on corruption within the walls of Rikers Island, six individuals, including former corrections officers, a program counselor, a contractor, and an inmate, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the jail facilities, as reported by the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The sentencing, delivered by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, caps a series of legal actions that aimed to deter wrongdoing and reinforce the integrity of law enforcement entities managing the prison, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the same source, sky-high sums of money exchanged hands in these illicit deals, with bribes ranging from a few thousands to over $64,000, in stark defiance of the rules that are supposed to manage Rikers, a facility already marred by controversy, the officials involved, JASON SKEET, CHANTAL DE LOS SANTOS, and STEPHANIE DAVILA, alongside program counselor SHANEQUA WASHINGTON, contractor KENNETH WEBSTER and inmate KRISTOPHER FRANCISCO trafficked in substances such as fentanyl, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids, as well as contraband like cellphones and cigarettes, the conspiracy spanned various timeframes throughout 2020 to 2022 each in their own capacity, served as links in a chain that kept this black-market economy thriving within the bars of Rikers.
The collective effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation has been lauded by Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky, who underscored the sentenced parties’ betrayal of public trust. “The defendants—former Rikers Island employees, a Rikers Island contractor, and an inmate—engaged in corruption on Rikers Island by agreeing to have contraband smuggled into the Rikers Island jail facilities in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. The defendants’ crimes contributed to a dangerous contraband market within Rikers Island, making Rikers Island less safe for inmates and officers alike. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate this Office’s commitment to hold accountable those who criminally abuse their positions of public trust and undermine the security of jails for their own benefit,” as noted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office…