Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Ghislaine Barrientos, a former corrections officer, has pled guilty to bribery charges. Barrientos admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling narcotics into Rikers Island. She entered her plea before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods and is scheduled for sentencing on April 16, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim stated, "Ghislaine Barrientos took bribes when working as a corrections officer at Rikers Island. Rikers Island is less safe, for inmates and officers alike, when corrections officers and others in positions of public trust accept bribes to smuggle contraband. We will not tolerate any breach of trust or corruption that jeopardizes the well-being of inmates and staff."
According to court documents and statements made in court, Barrientos conspired with others to smuggle contraband such as cocaine and smokeable synthetic cannabinoids (known as "K2") into the Robert N. Davoren Complex at Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe payments.
On April 11, 2024, an associate of an inmate discussed sending Barrientos a package through a delivery service. Surveillance footage from April 15 showed Barrientos entering the inmate's cell where cameras could not capture her actions. A subsequent search revealed sheets of paper testing positive for cocaine.
Further investigation on April 24 found more contraband after a drug-detecting canine alerted authorities to Barrientos's belongings at work. Additional sheets tested positive for K2 were discovered along with $2,466 in cash during a vehicle search.
Barrientos pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is determined by Congress but will ultimately be decided by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation. The case is being managed by the Office’s Public Corruption and Narcotics Units with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Coyle leading the prosecution.