Khalif Phillips, Marijuana Smuggling, New York 2014

A former New York City Correction Officer has been convicted of smuggling marijuana into Riker’s Island, where it was distributed to inmates.

Khalif Phillips, 31, of Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute marijuana. He faces a maximum term of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Phillips, who worked as a Correction Officer from February 2006 until his arrest in June 2013, was assigned to the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC) on Riker’s Island. He smuggled marijuana into the GRVC on multiple occasions in 2012, providing it to inmates who sold it to other inmates. Phillips typically charged $1,000 per package that he smuggled into the GRVC.

The conviction comes after a one-week trial in Manhattan federal court. Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York City Department of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit, with Assistant United States Attorneys Russell Capone, Rahul Mukhi, and Carrie Cohen in charge.

The investigation revealed that Phillips coordinated with the wives and girlfriends of his inmate co-conspirators, who met with him to supply him with marijuana and to pay him for his smuggling activities. Among the occasions where Phillips brought packages of marijuana into Riker’s Island were October 8, 2012, and December 23, 2012.