Rashawn Assanah, Contraband Smuggling, New York 2021

A former correction officer at Rikers Island has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for taking bribes to smuggle contraband to inmates. Rashawn Assanah, 26, of Queens, New York, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit federal crimes and one count of federal program bribery.

According to the indictment, Assanah abused his position as a correction officer to smuggle contraband, including cigarettes, K2, and a weapon, into the Robert N. Davoren Center on Rikers Island in return for over $7,500 in bribes from at least one inmate between November 2020 and February 2021.

Following his guilty plea, Assanah lied to the court by claiming to have cancer and be undergoing chemotherapy. He even submitted a forged note from a doctor who does not exist to substantiate his bogus claims.

Assanah’s prison sentence should send a clear message to any correction officer who may be tempted to smuggle contraband to inmates: this is a serious crime that leads to serious jail time, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.

Assanah was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $7,500.00, and directed to pay $10,935.60 in restitution to the New York City Department of Correction.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit, and Assistant United States Attorneys Marguerite Colson and Jarrod L. Schaeffer are in charge of the prosecution.

Rashawn Assanah, a 26-year-old from Queens, New York, was arrested on May 26, 2021, and later pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges. United States District Judge Colleen McMahon imposed today’s sentence.

In addition to his prison term, Assanah was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $7,500.00, and directed to pay $10,935.60 in restitution to the New York City Department of Correction.

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