Rikers Island officer from Lawrence admits accepting bribes from inmates, feds say

A Rikers Island corrections officer from Lawrence admitted Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn to accepting nearly $10,000 in bribes from a member of the Bloods street gang in exchange for smuggling cellphones and narcotics into the prison, prosecutors said.

Krystle Burrell, 35, a city Department of Corrections officer, pleaded guilty to bribery and faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto.

“The defendants threw in their lot with Bloods gang members and betrayed their sworn duty to maintain the safety of incarcerated individuals and other correction officers at Rikers Island,” said Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District. 

Prosecutors said Burrell accepted $9,780 in bribe payments from Rikers inmate Terrae Hinds. In exchange, Burrell smuggled drugs and at least two cellphones to Hinds, facilitating his sale of narcotics and other contraband items at the prison, officials said.

Michael Hueston, Burrell's Brooklyn-based defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.

Last month, another Rikers Island guard, Katrina Patterson, 31, of Queens, pleaded guilty to bribery as part of the same federal investigation, admitting to accepting more than $34,000 in payments from incarcerated gang member Michael Ross. In exchange, Patterson smuggled drugs and cellphones, which were later found in Ross' cell, into the prison, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement recovered Patterson’s text messages, including one in which a co-conspirator told her that some of the contraband would be “4 black joints in 1 paper," officials said. Patterson responded: “it better be wrapped so many times I don’t want to smell it," prosecutors said.

Jocelyn Strauber, commissioner of the City Department of Investigation, said the two corrections officers "risked the safety and security of the jails and willfully circumvented Correction Department regulations. These violations of their duty carry serious consequences, including termination from their city employment."

Patterson faces up to five in prison. Ross has pleaded guilty to bribery while charges against Hinds are pending.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.