New York City prison bribery and narcotics smuggling prosecution completed with sentencing of last defendant
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, the seventh and final defendant was sentenced in connection with a bribery conspiracy to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into New York City prisons. Carl Noel, a former correction officer employed by the New York City Department of Correction, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to six months’ home confinement for accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling narcotics into the Manhattan Detention Complex. Previously, Noel’s six co-defendants received sentences ranging from six months in a residential facility to 26 months’ imprisonment.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett announced the sentences.
“Our prison system relies upon the integrity of its employees. For selling his integrity, undermining the security of the prison and endangering his fellow officers, Carl Noel will now go from guard to convicted felon,” said United States Attorney Donoghue. “All seven members of this smuggling conspiracy, including two correction officers, have now been held accountable for their crimes.”
Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department and New York State Police for their assistance.
“Correction officers have a duty to enforce and abide by the rules of our city jails to protect the safety of their fellow officers and the incarcerated,” said Commissioner Garnett. “The two correction officers involved in this contraband smuggling scheme violated that pledge, sold out their integrity by accepting bribes and have now been held to account for their crimes. DOI thanks the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District for his partnership in stemming the flow of contraband in our City jails and for his office’s prosecution of this important matter.”
The defendants assumed a variety of roles in the conspiracy. Noel and correction officer Christian Mizell, were responsible for smuggling the marijuana and other contraband into the MDC. Their co-defendants, Warren Green and Patrick Johnson, both of whom were incarcerated at the MDC, arranged for marijuana and other contraband to be packaged and delivered covertly to Noel and Mizell, by co-defendants Robert Martino, Malik Holloway and Asha Patterson. Noel and Mizell received thousands of dollars in bribes, among other benefits, to smuggle narcotics past prison security personnel for distribution inside the prison.
Previously, Noel’s co-defendants were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. In November 2018, Mizell, was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment; in December 2018, Martino was sentenced to six months in a residential facility and two years’ probation; in December 2018, Johnson was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment; in December 2018, Patterson was sentenced to one year and one day in prison; in January 2019, Holloway was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment; and in February 2019, Green was sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Erik Paulsen of the Office’s Public Integrity Section and Nomi Berenson of the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.
The Defendants:
Carl Noel
Age: 32
New York, New York
Christian Mizell
Age: 49
Queens, New York
Warren Green
Age: 41
Pine City, New York
Patrick Johnson
Age: 27
Bronx, New York
Robert Martino
Age: 37
Queens, New York
Malik Holloway
Age: 23
Bronx, New York
Asha Patterson
Age: 44
Queens, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-60 (PKC)
# # #
