A Rikers Island corrections officer who claimed her “cynicism” over conditions at the troubled jail complex drove her to smuggle contraband inside was hit with a prison sentence of one year and a day Tuesday afternoon.
Katrina Patterson, 32, took about $34,000 in bribes in exchange for sneaking pot and a cell phone to jailed Bloods member Michael Ross, getting the cash from two of Ross’ girlfriends. Patterson pleaded guilty to bribery in August.
Patterson and her accomplices were sentenced Tuesday before Brooklyn Federal Judge Carol Bagley Amon.
Ross, who’s serving 16 years to life for a state weapon possession conviction, got 18 months of federal time tacked onto his state sentence. His girlfriends, Ashley Medina and Imani Matthews, both received non-jail sentences.
Patterson received the bribes between October 2020 and March 2021. Her admitted “cynicism” was brought up in an April 6 sentencing memo by federal prosecutors.
“Crucially, the defendant’s conduct was not aberrational, nor was she a reluctant participant. She chose, again and again, to violate her oath as an officer by accepting bribes to smuggle in contraband for a gang member,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Pilmar wrote. “The crisis at our city’s jails will only improve when corrections officers like the defendant stop taking money in exchange for violating their oath.”
In all, 19 city jail inmates died in 2022 and 16 died in in 2021, several from drug overdoses.
In one instance, Patterson smuggled what she said were “4 black joints in 1 paper,” warning Matthews, “it better be wrapped so many times I don’t want to smell it.”
On Nov. 10, 2020, investigators discovered nearly 50 grams of pot and a contraband cell phone in Ross’ cell at the Robert N. Davoren Center.
In the aftermath of the search, Patterson messaged Medina, “Call me I gotta see you asap did he destroy the phone they found the phone and mad weed … they have the phone I hope he deleted everything.”