BROOKLYN, NY – Five current and former employees of the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn, are facing federal charges today after allegedly accepting bribes to smuggle weapons, drugs, and other contraband into the facility. The scheme put the roughly 120 teenage residents – ages 14 to 20 – and fellow staff at Crossroads at serious risk, according to federal prosecutors.
Da’Vante Bolton, Roger Francis, Christopher Craig, Nigel King, and Octavia Napier were all charged with conspiracy to commit Travel Act bribery. All five defendants were Youth Development Specialists at Crossroads, a role akin to a correction officer. They were arrested this morning and are scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo this afternoon. The unsealed criminal complaints detail a systematic effort to undermine security at the facility for personal gain.
“As alleged, these so-called ‘Youth Development Specialists’ violated their duty to the City and the residents at Crossroads by smuggling in weapons, drugs, and other contraband in exchange for bribes, placing young people and other staff members at an alarming risk of serious harm,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Today’s arrests demonstrate that this Office remains committed to rooting out corruption and cleaning up our city’s jails and juvenile detention facilities.”
The investigation, a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), and the FBI, uncovered a disturbing pattern of contraband entering Crossroads. Between March 2022 and May 2024, authorities recovered at least 75 cell phones, over 340 scalpels or blades, narcotics, and tobacco from residents – items explicitly prohibited within the facility. Despite staff training and security screenings, the flow of illegal goods continued, fueled by the alleged bribery scheme.
“As Youth Development Specialists at ACS, these defendants were trusted to ensure the safety and security of residents in the City’s youth detention facilities,” said DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber. “They betrayed that trust when, as charged, they accepted cash payments in exchange for smuggling drugs, weapons, and other contraband, into the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn, destabilizing the facility and increasing the risk of violence to residents and staff alike.” The DOI reported the initial concerning information that sparked the federal investigation.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith emphasized the betrayal of trust. “These five defendants…are alleged to have repeatedly smuggled dangerous contraband into the facility in exchange for bribes. Youth development specialists are entrusted to help troubled youth get back on the right path, instead these individuals allegedly strayed themselves, placing personal gain above the safety and rehabilitation of the juveniles under their watch.” The investigation remains ongoing, and further details regarding the specific bribes and smuggled items are expected to emerge in court proceedings. Da’Vante Bolton, employed by ACS since March 2020, is among those named in the complaints.
RELATED: Crossroads Corruption: ACS Staff Bribed to Smuggle Contraband
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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