Thursday, May 1, 2008

Nab Correction Cops For Drug Smuggling
Brought Narcotics To Inmates For Cash

Seven former or current officers with the New York City Department of Correction have been separately indicted on charges that they each received bribes and committed other offenses related to smuggling contraband into the city’s jails, it was announced.

The seven arrests were announced last Thursday, Apr. 24 by Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn. The charges stem from a series of undercover investigations conducted by DOI based on tips from DOC employees and inmates.

In those investigations, on 11 occasions, undercover investigators posing as friends or relatives of inmates met and recorded meetings with six of the charged corrections officers, each of whom allegedly agreed to deliver contraband, such as marijuana and packages of simulated cocaine and heroin, to inmates in exchange for cash payments ranging from $100 to $1,500.

One other correction officer whose duty was to screen mail coming into inmates allegedly received a bribe in exchange for allowing contraband into the city jail.

No inmate received any actual controlled substance or retained any marijuana in these operations. Three of the correction officers have already been dismissed by DOC for reasons unrelated to this investigation; the other four officers were expected to be suspended.

“These seven correction officers were supposed to uphold the law,” Commissioner Gill Hearn said. “Instead, they are charged with violating their duty and jeopardizing the safety and security of the city’s jails.”

DOC Commissioner Martin F. Horn said, “If true, these charges are an insult to their brother and sister officers and a blemish on the well-earned reputation of the vast majority of our officers, who are true to their oath and do difficult and often dangerous work in our jails every day with integrity, pride and compassion.”

DOI conducted similar undercover investigations in 2003 and 2006. In July 2003, DOI arrested seven city employees, including two correction officers, on charges they smuggled drugs into the city jails in return for bribes. In 2006, DOI arrested six workers at the city jails, including three correction officers, for smuggling drugs and contraband in exchange for cash.

A summary of the charges against each officer follows:

• Daniel Bethel, 43, of Brooklyn—a correction officer since February 2004 who receives an annual salary of approximately $51,100—allegedly collected cash in October 2007 from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered marijuana to an inmate at the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island.

Bethel is charged with bribe receiving in the third and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree, a class E felony; criminal possession of

marijuana in the fifth degree, a class B misdemeanor; and official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment. He also faces suspension.

• Joseph Constantino, 50 of Mineola, a mail room officer at the North Infirmary Command on Rikers Island and employee of DOC since March 1990—earning an annual salary of $65,840—allegedly passed money, tobacco and simulated heroin in January 2008 to an inmate in exchange for a cash bribe.

He is charged with attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and attempted criminal possession of controlled substance in the third degree, both class C felonies; bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, class D felonies; attempted promotion of prison contraband in the first degree and attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, both class E felonies; and promoting prison contraband in the second degree and official misconduct, both class A misdemeanors. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment. He also faces suspension.

• William Delgado, 42, of upstate Warwick in two meetings, in March and April 2008, allegedly collected two cash payments from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered marijuana to an inmate in the Robert N. Davoren Center on Rikers Island.

Delgado—who has been employed with DOC since 1989 and receives an annual salary of $65,841—is charged with bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree a class E felony; criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree and official misconduct, class A misdemeanors. If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment. He also faces suspension.

• Daniel Marin, 27, of the Bronx, in two meetings, in December 2007 and February 2008, allegedly collected cash from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered marijuana and simulated cocaine to an inmate at AMKC.

Marin is charged with attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree, a class A-II felony; attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class C felony; bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; attempted promotion of prison contraband in the first degree and criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree, both class E felonies; criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor and official misconduct, class A misdemeanors; and criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree, a class B misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Marin was employed with DOC from June 2005 to March 2008, at an annual salary of approximately $42,160, when he was terminated for reasons unrelated to this investigation.

• Anthony Narcisse, 24, of Manhattan, in two meetings in May 2007, allegedly collected two cash payments from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered marijuana to an inmate at AMKC.

Narcisse is charged with bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree, a class E felony; criminal possession of

marijuana in the fourth degree and official misconduct, class A misdemeanors and criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree, a class B misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Narcisse was employed with DOC from June 2006 to December 2007, when his employment, at a salary of approximately $36,120, was terminated for reasons unrelated to this investigation.

• Tamar Peebles, 26, of Brooklyn, in January 2008, allegedly collected cash from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered simulated heroin and marijuana to an inmate at AMKC. In a second meeting in January 2008, he allegedly collected cash from the DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered simulated cocaine and marijuana to an inmate.

Peebles is charged with attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the Second Degree, a class A-II felony; attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and attempted criminal possession of a controlled Substance in the third degree, class C felonies; bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree and attempted promotion of prison contraband in the first degree, both class E felonies; official misconduct and criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree, class A misdemeanors; and criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree, a class B misdemeanor. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.

Peebles has been employed with DOC since June 2006 and receives an annual salary of approximately $37,560. She faces suspension.

• Andrew Plaskett, 28, of Jamaica in two meetings, in February and March 2007, allegedly collected payments of cash from a DOI undercover investigator and in exchange delivered marijuana to an inmate at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island.

Plaskett is charged with bribe receiving in the third degree and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, both class D felonies; criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree a class E felony; criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree and official misconduct, both class A misdemeanors. If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Plaskett was employed with DOC from June 2005 until March 2007, when his salary was approximately of $38,250 and his employment was terminated for reasons unrelated to this investigation.

Commissioner Gill Hearn thanked DOC Commissioner Horn and his staff for their cooperation and assistance.

The investigations were conducted by DOI’s Inspector General for DOC, Meera Joshi Cattafesta, Assistant Inspector General James Christo, and Correction Officer Investigators Jerome Corrica, Tomas Diaz and Rhonda Young, under the supervision of Associate Commissioner Richard Sullivan.

Supervising Assistant District Attorney James Goward and Assistant District Attorney Larry Harstein, under the supervision of Chief of the Rackets Division Thomas Leahy, each from the Office of Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson, are prosecuting the cases.

It was noted that indictments are merely accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.