A former Rikers Island Corrections Officer has been sentenced to over three years in prison for conspiring to smuggle contraband to inmates in exchange for bribes.
Jason Skeet, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $45,644.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Skeet smuggled contraband, including marijuana, to inmates approximately 100 times between January 2020 and June 2022. The contraband was smuggled in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments.
The probe into Skeet’s activities began after an inmate used a contraband cellphone to text Skeet requesting cigarettes and marijuana. Skeet agreed to smuggle in the contraband in exchange for $1,000, which was transferred into an account identified by Skeet.
In a voluntary interview with law enforcement, Skeet acknowledged that he had smuggled contraband to inmates on Rikers Island approximately 100 times since the start of the pandemic in exchange for bribes.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation, saying, ‘Jason Skeet flagrantly abused his position of public trust by repeatedly smuggling contraband to inmates in exchange for bribes.’
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Z. Margulies, Jonathan E. Rebold, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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