Westchester Resident Gets Prison In Smuggling Scandal At Rikers: Feds

OSSINING, NY — A Westchester resident is among six people sentenced for federal crimes connected to their involvement in corruption at Rikers Island.

Matthew Podolsky, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY, announced the sentences given to former Rikers Island corrections officers Jason Skeet, Chantal De Los Santos, and Stephanie Davila; former Rikers Island program counselor Shanequa Washington; former Rikers Island contractor Kenneth Webster; and former Rikers Island inmate Kristopher Francisco (of Ossining), for conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with their involvement in the corruption at the jail.

"The defendants—former Rikers Island employees, a Rikers Island contractor, and an inmate—engaged in corruption on Rikers Island by agreeing to have contraband smuggled into the Rikers Island jail facilities in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes," Podolsky said. "The defendants' crimes contributed to a dangerous contraband market within Rikers Island, making Rikers Island less safe for inmates and officers alike. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate this Office’s commitment to hold accountable those who criminally abuse their positions of public trust and undermine the security of jails for their own benefit."

SEE ALSO: 2 Westchester Residents Accused Of Corruption At Rikers: Feds

According to court documents, Skeet, De Los Santos, Davila, Washington, Webster and Francisco conspired to smuggle contraband, including fentanyl, marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, cellphones, and cigarettes, into Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe payments.

Each of the charged conspiracies involved a Rikers insider (a corrections officer, program counselor, or contractor) who was responsible for smuggling contraband into the facility; a co-conspirator outside of Rikers who provided the contraband and/or bribe payments to the insider; and an inmate co-conspirator who received the contraband smuggled by the insider. The inmate who received the contraband from the insider usually sold part of the contraband to other inmates inside Rikers, in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments to the inmate or the inmate's co-conspirators.

From January 2020 through June 2022, Skeet, who was then a corrections officer assigned to the Northern Infirmary Command on Rikers Island, smuggled contraband into the jail around 100 times in exchange for more than $45,000.

From March 2022 through April 2022, Washington, who was then a program counselor assigned to the Robert N. Davoren Center on Rikers Island, smuggled contraband into the jail in exchange for around $13,000.

From May 2022 through September 2022, Webster, who was then an employee of a Rikers Island contractor and a former Rikers inmate, smuggled contraband into the jail in exchange for more than $64,000.

From March 2022 through June 2022, De Los Santos, who was then a former Rikers Island corrections officer, passed contraband and made bribe payments to Washington and Webster, so that they would smuggle the contraband to inmates inside the jail.

From July 2021 through August 2021, Davila, who was then a former Rikers Island corrections officer, passed contraband and made bribe payments to a Rikers Island corrections officer, so that the officer would smuggle the contraband to Francisco inside the jail.

From July 2021 through August 2021, Francisco, who was then an inmate incarcerated in the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island, directed Davila to provide bribe payments and contraband to a corrections officer, so that the officers would smuggle contraband to Francisco inside the jail.

Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

Francisco, 29, and Jason Skeet, 47, were each sentenced to 37 months of prison.

Davila, 31, and Washington, 40, were each sentenced to 12 months and a day of prison.

De Los Santos, 31, was sentenced to 15 months of prison.

Webster, 43, was sentenced to 41 months of prison.

Podolsky praised the work of the FBI and the NYC Department of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.