Brooklyn Federal Prison Guard Charged With Taking Bribes To Smuggle In Drugs

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN — A federal prison guard at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and the girlfriend of an inmate there were charged in connection with a bribery scheme worth thousands of dollars, the U.S. Attorney's office in New York's eastern district announced Thursday. Alicia Alonso, 31, allegedly gave Armando Moronta, 38, thousands of dollars in bribes so he would smuggle in contraband for the prisoners. The two defendants appeared in federal court in Downtown Brooklyn Thursday afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint, Alonso gave Moronta contraband like cellphones, Suboxone and "K2," a synthetic narcotic misconceived as a cheaper alternative to marijuana, for the prisoners. Moronta then gave the contraband to prisoners on 12 occasions between March 2016 and December 2016 in exchange for the money, the complaint said.

"...Moronta abused his position of trust as a federal correctional officer thereby compromising a vital component of our criminal justice system and potentially endangering the safety and well-being of other MDC [the detention center] employees and inmates," said U.S. Attorney Robert Capers.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney said Moronta's "badge does not allow him special privilege, or put him above the law."

A request for comment to the detention center was not immediately returned.

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