A former city correction officer last week was convicted in connection with a contraband distribution ring on Rikers Island.
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A former city correction officer last week was convicted in federal court of bribery and narcotics offenses for his role in an inmate contraband distribution ring on Rikers Island, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara.
Austin Romain, 32, of Brooklyn, was convicted on one count of honest services fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of conspiring to distribute marijuana. He was acquitted on one count that alleged he had distributed marijuana on a particular date.
According to the superseding indictment against Romain, on multiple occasions in 2012 and 2013, he smuggled marijuana, tobacco, and other contraband into a Rikers Island jail and provided it to inmates housed in that facility, who in turn sold it to other inmates. Romain also coordinated with the girlfriends of his inmate co-conspirators, who met with him to supply him with marijuana and to pay him for his smuggling activities. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes for the packages that he smuggled in to the two facilities to which he was assigned.
The marijuana conspiracy count carries a maximum term of five years in prison, while the bribery conviction carries a maximum term of 10 years. The honest services fraud conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
“Holding corrupt officers like Romain accountable for their misconduct is just part of the solution; it is not a substitute for the sweeping, institutional reforms necessary at Rikers Island,” Bharara noted. “We will continue to press forward on both fronts—holding individual bad actors accountable and demanding meaningful, institutional reforms.”
Last month, former Correction Officer Khalif Phillips, who conspired with some of the same individuals as Romain, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after his conviction for narcotics-related offenses.
By Michael V. Cusenza
