An indictment unsealed in the Bronx charges a Rikers Island correction officer, an inmate, and the inmate’s wife with allegedly smuggling prohibited items into the jail. The items reportedly included tools that could bypass certain security screws, as well as marijuana and tobacco, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. The case involves the Otis Bantum Correctional Center.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber announced the charges, citing alleged misconduct within the correctional system. The correction officer, identified as Steven Davis, 43, is accused of providing tools that could be used to dismantle light fixtures and vents, locations where contraband such as cell phones and scalpels can be hidden.
The investigation indicates that the alleged misconduct also included wage theft. Davis is accused of receiving nearly $8,000 for hours he did not work, defrauding the city between January 2024 and March 2025. The indictment outlines charges related to both smuggling and this alleged financial misconduct.
Davis is accused of receiving more than $5,000 in bribes in exchange for contraband, meeting with Natasha Laing, 51, the inmate’s wife, to collect both the items and the cash in Harlem. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court again on February 10.
Trial preparation assistants and investigators from the New York City Department of Investigation assisted in the arrest and the preparation of the case. The investigation uncovered misconduct within the correctional facility. The full details of the case and the charges highlight allegations of breaches of duty and misconduct in the system.
