Former New York City Department of Correction Officer Bennie Green, along with an inmate and a civilian accomplice, has been indicted for involvement in smuggling a cellphone into Rikers Island jail. Bronx
District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber made the announcement on June 23rd. In it, they emphasized the potential dangers of contraband in correctional facilities.
Contraband can lead to violence, and this officer tarnished his badge and put his fellow officers and inmates in danger.
According to the indictment, Green, a 36-year-old resident of Yonkers, is accused of accepting a $2,500 bribe in exchange for smuggling an iPhone to an inmate. The charges against him include third-degree bribe receiving, first-degree promoting prison contraband, second-degree promoting criminal contraband, and official misconduct.
The inmate involved in the case is Barry Wells, a 35-year-old Rikers Island prisoner. He has been indicted on charges of third-degree bribery, first-degree promoting prison contraband, and second-degree promoting prison contraband. Additionally, Starquiasha Singletary, a 32-year-old civilian from the Bronx, has been indicted on charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband and second-degree promoting prison contraband.
Investigations revealed that Wells instructed Singletary to acquire an iPhone for him. Over several days in July and August 2021, phone records show that Wells and Singletary made arrangements for the cellphone to be obtained. Green was implicated in the case through multiple phone calls made to the smuggled device. Surveillance footage captured Green entering Wells’ cell in the Anna M. Kross Center, followed by a subsequent transfer of three separate Zelle payments totaling $2,500 from an associate of Wells to Green.
Both Green and Singletary were arraigned in the Bronx and are scheduled to appear in court on September 14. Wells will be arraigned at a later date, as determined by prosecutors.
Leave a Reply