Photo Courtesy of Google
The Manhattan Detention Complex on White Street
By Forum Staff
A former City correction officer has been sentenced to six months’ home confinement for his role in connection with a bribery conspiracy to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into NYC prisons, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Carl Noel, 32, the seventh and final defendant sentenced in the case, accepted bribes in exchange for smuggling narcotics into the Manhattan Detention Complex on White Street.
Three of the seven people charged in the case are from Queens: Asha Patterson, 44; Robert Martino, 37; and Christian Mizell, 49. All of the defendants assumed a variety of roles in the conspiracy, officials noted. Noel and fellow former Correction Officer Mizell were responsible for smuggling marijuana and other contraband into the MDC. Warren Green, 41, and Patrick Johnson, 27, both of whom were incarcerated at the MDC, arranged for marijuana and other contraband to be packaged and delivered covertly to Noel and Mizell, by Martino, Malik Holloway, 23, and Patterson. Noel and Mizell received thousands of dollars in bribes, among other benefits, to smuggle narcotics past prison security personnel for distribution inside the prison.
Previously, Noel’s co-defendants were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. In November 2018, Mizell was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment; in December 2018, Martino was sentenced to six months in a residential facility and two years’ probation; in December 2018, Johnson was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment; in December 2018, Patterson was sentenced to one year and one day in prison; in January 2019, Holloway was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment; and in February 2019, Green was sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment.
“Our prison system relies upon the integrity of its employees. For selling his integrity, undermining the security of the prison and endangering his fellow officers, Carl Noel will now go from guard to convicted felon,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue. “All seven members of this smuggling conspiracy, including two correction officers, have now been held accountable for their crimes.”
City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett added, “Correction officers have a duty to enforce and abide by the rules of our city jails to protect the safety of their fellow officers and the incarcerated. The two correction officers involved in this contraband smuggling scheme violated that pledge, sold out their integrity by accepting bribes, and have now been held to account for their crimes.”
