Ex-Rikers Guard Who Smuggled Pot In Pants Pleads Guilty: Feds

NEW YORK — A former Rikers Island guard pleaded guilty to drug-smuggling conspiracy Friday after he was caught with marijuana in his pants, federal prosecutors say.

Ex-correction officer Simon Gordon faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine following his guilty plea for conspiring to accept bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The 24-year-old Bronx resident was found with a package of pot in the crotch of his pants when he arrived for work last July after participating in a cash-for-drugs scheme for about seven months, according to prosecutors.

"Gordon betrayed the trust placed in him as a correction officer when he accepted bribes to smuggle contraband into Rikers Island, jeopardizing the safety and security of the correctional facility," Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue said in a statement.

Gordon agreed to take cash bribes for smuggling contraband such as marijuana into one of Rikers Island's jails from about January through July of last year, prosecutors said.

A drug-sniffing dog discovered the package of marijuana in Gordon's pants when he got to work on July 30, 2018, according to prosecutors and a criminal complaint. Gordon voluntarily gave up the package, which contained nearly 100 grams of pot and was coated in clear nail polish to mask the smell, authorities said.

Investigators from the city's Department of Investigation heard two of the ex-guard's co-conspirators discussing the scheme on a phone call, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. One told the other that Gordon had been given two "bands," code for $2,000, that he had "six balls," or packages of drugs, for the officer, according to prosecutors.

Gordon no longer works for the city, Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett said.

The case sends "a strong message that New York City has no tolerance for this illegal conduct," Garnett said in a statement.