Cops in the Cartel: NYC Jail Guards Take Bribes to Smuggle Drugs

Christian Mizell and Carl Noel, two New York City correction officers, are accused of turning Rikers Island into a drug hub by smuggling marijuana and other contraband into city prison facilities for cash. A six-count federal indictment unsealed in Brooklyn charges seven defendants, including Mizell, 48, of Queens, and Noel, 32, of New York, New York, with running a narcotics pipeline behind bars using their badges as cover. The conspiracy allegedly turned DOC facilities into black markets, fed by bribes and betrayal.

Inside sources say Warren Green, 40, of Pine City, New York, and Patrick Johnson, 27, of the Bronx—both already locked up on unrelated felony charges—orchestrated the smuggling from inside prison walls. They coordinated with street-level operatives Robert Martino, Malik Holloway, and Asha Patterson to package and deliver contraband to Mizell and Noel, who then breached DOC security to deliver the goods. In return, the officers collected thousands of dollars in bribes, cash that prosecutors say bought them a direct line into the prison’s underground economy.

U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue didn’t mince words: “When the defendant correction officers betrayed the trust placed in them by the City of New York, they not only committed serious crimes but also potentially jeopardized the safety of staff and inmates.” The Eastern District of New York, alongside DEA, NYPD, DOI, and New York State Police, launched a joint sting that peeled back layers of collusion between jail staff and outside traffickers. The arrests expose a rot that reaches beyond individual greed—into systemic failures at city jails.

“Drug traffickers are notorious for their smuggling methods, but this case demonstrated the defendants’ ability to bypass security altogether,” said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt. With two correction officers embedded in the operation, the syndicate didn’t need tunnels or drones—they had keys, uniforms, and access. The DEA credits interagency cooperation for dismantling the ring before it could spread further into the prison population.

DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters called the case another symptom of a deeper disease: “This investigation demonstrates again a pattern of misconduct in our City’s jails: outside civilians working with Correction Officers and DOC employees to smuggle narcotics and other contraband to inmates on the inside.” His office is pushing for overhauls in front-gate screening to stop future breaches, but for now, the focus remains on prosecution. NYSP Superintendent George P. Beach added: “This sends a strong message that we will not tolerate such crimes, especially when perpetrated by those entrusted with upholding the law.”

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Paulsen of the Public Integrity Section and Nomi Berenson of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. The arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in federal court, Brooklyn.