A former corrections officer has entered a guilty plea for bribery charges related to smuggling contraband into Rikers Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Edward Y. Kim. Ghislaine Barrientos, the officer involved, admitted to her participation in a scheme involving bribes in return for bringing narcotics into the jail complex. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 16, as per an announcement following the plea, which took place in front of U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
"Rikers Island is less safe, for inmates and officers alike, when corrections officers and others in positions of public trust accept bribes to smuggle contraband. We will not tolerate any breach of trust or corruption that jeopardizes the well-being of inmates and staff," Edward Y. Kim stated standing before the justice system's integrity, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.
Barrientos was accused of conspiring to deliver substances such as cocaine, synthetic cannabinoids, and unauthorized food items to inmates at the Robert N. Davoren Complex on Rikers Island. Documents filed in court indicated that, in one instance, surveillance captured Barrientos entering an inmate's cell, and a subsequent search of the cell revealed paper sheets laced with cocaine. Another package, sent later in April and intended for smuggling into the facility, prompted a canine alert and led to the discovery of K2 on Barrientos's person.
During an interrogation by law enforcement officers, having found approximately $2,466 in cash in Barrientos's vehicle along with more contraband, Barrientos initially denied ever having been requested by an inmate to smuggle contraband, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The 37-year-old Mount Vernon, New York resident faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. "The statutory maximum sentence is provided for informational purposes," Kim clarified, highlighting that the final decision will lie in the hands of the presiding judge.
The investigation that led to Barrientos’s plea was lauded by Mr. Kim, who credited the diligent efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation. The prosecution of the case is being managed by the Office's Public Corruption and Narcotics Units, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Coyle at the helm.
