Two Rikers guards allegedly accepted hundreds of dollars in bribes to smuggle contraband to gang-affiliated inmates.
Chad Rachman
Two New York Metropolis correction officers smuggled contraband to Bloods gang members on Rikers Island — together with one guard who apparently had a romance with an inmate nicknamed “Tomato Sauce,” the feds alleged Tuesday.
Krystle Burrell, 35, and Katrina Patterson, 31, every allegedly pocketed hundreds of dollars in bribes in separate schemes involving completely different inmates on the problem-plagued lockup.
Burrell, a six-year veteran of the Division of Correction, was paid practically $10,000 to go at the least two cellphones to Terrae Hinds, who she appeared to have a romantic relationship with, in keeping with a prison criticism.
The jail guard can also be accused of serving to Hinds, 28, together with his enterprise promoting black-market items to different inmates.
Hinds — whose gang nickname is “Tomato Sauce” — was locked up on the Anna M. Kross Heart on expenses associated to a capturing when he allegedly arrange the bribes to Burrell between June 2021 and July 2021.
Courtroom paperwork state that Burrell and the prisoner “look like in a romantic relationship.” In a June 25 telephone name, the 2 mentioned “I really like you” and “mimicked a kiss,” the criticism states.
Throughout one other name, they “mentioned their sexual relationship, and Hinds implied that Burrell had a earlier sexual encounter with him when he was incarcerated,” the submitting says.
Burrell additionally helped Hinds’ household with organizing his bail, securing his launch from Rikers — and continued to assist locked-up gang members on his behalf after he was sprung, the feds mentioned.
The opposite correction officer, Patterson, took at the least $34,090 in bribes from two child mamas of Michael Ross, 36 — aka “Sparks” — who was being held on unlawful gun possession expenses, in keeping with a prison criticism.
The girlfriends, Ashley Medina, 25, and Imani Matthews, 24, allegedly used CashApp to pay Patterson between October 2020 and March 2021. In alternate, Patterson snuck contraband, similar to marijuana and K2, to Ross in Rikers’ Robert N. Davoren Heart, the submitting states.
In a single occasion, prosecutors mentioned, Matthews texted that she wished Patterson to go “4 black joints in 1 paper,” to her beau — to which the jail guard responded: “it higher be wrapped so many occasions I don’t wish to scent it.”
Patterson, who additionally began working for the DOC in 2016, was allegedly caught on surveillance video smuggling luggage of narcotics to Ross’s cohorts on the jail.
The DOC mentioned the guards could be suspended with out pay.
Matthews, Medina, Ross and Hinds are additionally charged within the bribery conspiracy case, which is being prosecuted by the Japanese District of New York. All six defendants withstand 5 years in jail if convicted.
In an announcement, DOC Commissioner Louis Molina referred to as the allegations “extraordinarily disturbing.”
“Smuggling contraband shouldn't be solely deplorable and unlawful, nevertheless it places everybody in our services in danger,” Molina mentioned. “We've zero-tolerance for corruption and it’s paramount as public servants that we're dedicated to impeccable integrity.
“If these officers are discovered responsible they are going to be terminated and their protect numbers won't ever be worn once more.”
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