Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of NY
Peace said that Albert’s “lawless conduct undermines the orderly running of the institution and endangers the safety of other incarcerated individuals and Department of Correction personnel.
By Forum Staff
A Brooklyn federal jury on Friday convicted James Albert of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances while he was incarcerated at the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island (GRVC) as part of a scheme to bribe correction officers to smuggle illegal drugs and other contraband into the jail for sale to other inmates.
As proven at trial, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said, Albert, 45, while he was incarcerated at GRVC between February and June 2019, orchestrated a scheme to bribe at least two officers to bring marijuana, suboxone strips, and other contraband into GRVC for sale and distribution to other inmates. Albert also enlisted his wife, co-defendant Celena Burgess, to receive money from inmates and pay thousands of dollars in bribes to the correction officers on the defendant’s behalf using the electronic money-transfer platform Cash App.
File Photo
While he was incarcerated at GRVC between February and June 2019, Albert orchestrated a scheme to bribe at least two officers to bring contraband into the jail for sale and distribution to other inmates.
The government’s evidence included testimony from Patrick Legerme, a former City Correction officer who accepted bribes from Albert to smuggle marijuana into the jail and described how he smuggled drugs into the jail. Legerme pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept bribes and is awaiting sentencing. The government’s evidence also included testimony from Burgess that she managed the Cash App transactions for the defendant and received payments from other inmates for the items that Albert had sold them. Burgess testified as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the government. In addition to financial and phone records and expert testimony, the jury heard recorded telephone calls in which inmates used coded language in their conversations. For example, “Oakland Raider jerseys” referred to marijuana, “oranges” was code for suboxone strips, and “Pink Panties” referred to a correction officer.
“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for conspiring with corrupt correction officers to facilitate his lucrative drug-selling business from which he generated tens of thousands of dollars from his Rikers Island jail cell. Such lawless conduct by the defendant and his co-conspirators undermines the orderly running of the institution and endangers the safety of other incarcerated individuals and Department of Correction personnel,” Peace said.
When sentenced, Albert faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
1: While he was incarcerated at GRVC between February and June 2019, Albert orchestrated a scheme to bribe at least two officers to bring contraband into the jail for sale and distribution to other inmates.
