GRAND JURY CHARGES SEVEN CURRENT AND FORMER NYC CORRECTION OFFICERS WITH ACCEPTING BRIBES TO SMUGGLE DRUGS AND OTHER CONTRABAND TO INMATES ON RIKERS ISLAND

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that indictments were unsealed charging seven current and former New York City Correction Officers with accepting bribes to smuggle drugs, cigarettes and cash to inmates being held at various Department of Correction facilities on Rikers Island.

Mr. Johnson said the defendants were charged in separate indictments following a 16-month joint investigation with the New York City Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Correction. The defendants are accused of accepting as little as $200 for a one time delivery of simulated heroin, an undisclosed sum of U.S. currency, and cigarettes, to as much as $2,700 for allegedly smuggling one ounce of simulated cocaine, three bundles of simulated heroin and five ounces of marijuana to an inmate on two separate occasions.

Two of the seven defendants are facing maximum sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charge in the indictments, Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 2nd degree, a Class A-II felony offense. They are identified as Daniel Marin, 27, of the Bronx and Tamar Peebles, 26, of Queens.

Marin and Peebles have also been charged with Bribe Receiving in the 3rd degree, and Promoting Prison Contraband in the 1st degree, both Class D felony offenses, punishable by a term of up to 7 years imprisonment, and Criminal Sale of Marijuana in the 3rd degree, a Class E felony offense, punishable by a term of up to 4 years imprisonment. Five other defendants who are also facing up to 7 years imprisonment on similar charges are identified as Daniel Bethel, 43, of Brooklyn, Joseph Constantino, 50, of Mineola, New York, Andre Plaskett, 28, of Queens, Anthony Narcisse, 24, of Manhattan, and William Delgado, 42, of Warwick, New York.

It is alleged that the defendants met with undercover detectives on twelve different occasions at fast food restaurants and other locations in the Bronx, Queens and Upper Manhattan between October 25, 2007 and April 2, 2008. At each of these meetings the defendants allegedly accepted cash payments for their services and were given varying quantities of cigarettes, cash and marijuana, as well as simulated heroin and cocaine to smuggle to inmates on Rikers Island. The largest single incident of smuggling involved an ounce of simulated cocaine and three ounces of marijuana. All of the contraband was marked and the transactions with the undercover detectives were recorded on audio and video tape. One of the defendants, Tamar Peebles showed up for a meeting in full uniform and allegedly offered to smuggle razor blades onto Rikers Island in addition to the illegal drugs.

The defendants were arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice John Byrne who set bail in the following amounts: Tamar Peebles ($50,000); Daniel Marin ($35,000); Joseph Constantino ($20,000); Andre Plaskett ($20,000); Anthony Narcisse ($20,000); William Delgado ($20,000); and Daniel Bethel ($15,000).

District Attorney Johnson thanked Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn, Department of Correction Inspector General Meera Cattafesta, Deputy Inspector General Daniel Alejandro, Captain Vincent Valerio, and D.O.I. Investigators Jerome Corrica, Laurence McGuggins, Albert Jones, Rhonda Young, Tomas Diaz and James Christo, for all of their hard work that resulted in these indictments.

Mr. Johnson also expressed his appreciation to Assistant District Attorney Stephen Bookin, Chief of the Investigations Divsion and Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leahy, Chief of the Rackets Bureau.

Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Larry Hartstein, and Rackets Bureau Supervisor, Assistant District Attorney James Goward are prosecuting these cases.