Quandelle Joseph, Bribery, New York 2024

A federal correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn has been charged with bribery for smuggling contraband into the prison in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars.

Quandelle Joseph, 32, of Brooklyn, was arrested this morning in Brooklyn and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho later in the day. He was released on $50,000 bond pending trial.

According to the criminal complaint, Joseph, who has been working as a correctional officer at the MDC since May 2020, accepted bribes from at least two inmates to smuggle narcotics, cigarettes, and cell phones into the prison. In one instance, Joseph entered a unit he was not guarding during a lockdown, opened an inmate's cell, and provided him with contraband.

A few hours later, MDC staff smelled marijuana in the inmate's cell and recovered a contraband cell phone from the cell during a search. The inmate had flushed the marijuana down the toilet prior to the search. In June 2020, Joseph texted the inmate's contact outside the facility that the inmate owed him $12,000.

Joseph also used a 'burner' telephone to communicate with another inmate about the bribery scheme and warn him about upcoming contraband searches. For example, on January 26, 2021, Joseph texted an inmate from whom he was receiving bribes, '[t]ighten up search comin clean phones out call logs n text n try to stash it.'

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Joseph faces a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment.

The case is being handled by the Office's Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Pilmar and Marietou Diouf are in charge of the prosecution.

Quandelle Joseph, Age: 32, Brooklyn, NY, E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-359, charges: Bribery, Date: 05/26/2024, Sentence: Released on $50,000 bond pending trial.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/brooklyn-federal-correctional-officer-charged-bribery