Damian Williams, the US Lawyer for the Southern District of New York, introduced that RASHAWN ASSANAH was sentenced in the present day to 27 months in jail and greater than $18,000 in monetary penalties for taking bribes from inmates to smuggle contraband right into a Rikers Island facility. ASSANAH beforehand was arrested on Could 26, 2021, and later pled responsible to bribery and conspiracy prices. United States District Decide Colleen McMahon imposed in the present day’s sentence.
U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams stated: “Rashawn Assanah violated his oath to guard inmates in his care when he accepted money bribes to smuggle harmful contraband into Rikers Island. That conduct was outrageous and unacceptable. His jail sentence ought to ship a transparent message to any correction officer who could also be tempted to smuggle contraband to inmates: this can be a critical crime that results in critical jail time.”
As mirrored within the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in public proceedings:
RASHAWN ASSANAH abused his place as a correction officer to smuggle contraband, together with cigarettes, K2, and a weapon, into the Robert N. Davoren Heart on Rikers Island in return for over $7,500 in bribes from at the least in or about November 2020 up by way of and together with in or about February 2021.
Following ASSANAH’s responsible plea and earlier than sentencing, and so as to adjourn his sentencing, ASSANAH lied to the courtroom by claiming to have most cancers and be present process chemotherapy — even submitting a cast notice from a health care provider who doesn’t exist to substantiate his bogus claims.
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ASSANAH, 26, of Queens, New York, pled responsible on October 22, 2021, to 1 depend of conspiracy to commit federal crimes and one depend of federal program bribery. Along with his jail time period, ASSANAH was sentenced to a few years of supervised launch, ordered to forfeit $7,500.00, and directed to pay $10,935.60 in restitution to the New York Metropolis Division of Correction.
Mr. Williams praised the excellent investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Metropolis Division of Investigation.
This case is being dealt with by the Workplace’s Public Corruption Unit, and Assistant United States Attorneys Marguerite Colson and Jarrod L. Schaeffer are answerable for the prosecution.