A hard-hitting case of corruption has shaken the walls of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Correctional Officer Arcadia Zorrilla Hernández has been indicted and arrested for providing contraband to inmates, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow.
According to the indictment, in May 2019 to June 2019, Zorrilla Hernández knowingly and intentionally provided a cellular telephone and Suboxone, a narcotic drug, to an inmate housed at the MDC. The indictment further alleges that on August 14, 2019, Zorrilla Hernández agreed to an interview with special agents from the FBI and DOJ-OIG and willfully and knowingly provided false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements to the agents.
The defendant is facing two counts for providing contraband in prison, and one count for making false statements. The maximum penalties for these offenses are 20 years for providing contraband to inmates, and up to five years in prison for lying to federal agents.
“The defendant was supposed to provide supervision of inmates and enforce the rules and regulations governing MDC and the inmates’ conduct. Instead, she violated federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will not tolerate this type of misconduct, and will prosecute these offenses to the full extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by the FBI with the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Christine Amy.
Arcadia Zorrilla Hernández is a Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The indictment was announced in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The exact date of the crime is May 2019 to June 2019.
The defendant is currently facing the charges and will stand trial. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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