After accepting $44,000 from the 'Bloods'' gang to smuggle a litany of contraband into the Rickers Island prison facility, Krystle Burrell (35) and Katrina Patterson (31) now find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of legal trouble that may very well land them behind bars with the very people they conducted criminal activity with. According to reports, the female duo began facilitating drug deals on behalf of the Bloods after being brided by key members from within the organization.

Burrell snuck cell phones into the Anna M. Kross Center at Rikers, and she also acted as the 'middle man' in drug deals involving a 'Bloods' member named Terrae Hinds. In total, she accepted nearly $10,000 in funds to carry out the criminal acts. Meanwhile, Patterson accepted approximately $34,000 in bribes to execute similar duties at the Robert N. Davoren Center in Rikers Island on behalf of 'Bloods' gang member Michael Ross. Although the unsavory acts are not uncommon, they still sent shockwaves throughout law enforcement in the five boroughs of New York.

“When correction officers betray their oath to serve and protect, the public is put at risk, and the entire law enforcement community is tarnished,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “We have zero tolerance for such misconduct. With today’s guilty plea, Ms. Burrell joins Ms. Patterson in publicly acknowledging that their actions were immoral, unethical, and without integrity – diametrically opposed to the core requirements of our profession.”

Law officials also shared their disappointment in the highly publicized act of betrayal. “The defendants threw in their lot with Bloods gang members and betrayed their sworn duty to maintain the safety of incarcerated individuals and other correction officers at Rikers Island by smuggling cell phones and drugs into the jail,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace.  “This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corruption at Rikers Island.”

Krystle Burrell and Katrina Patterson both pled guilty in court last week. Burrell faces the possibility of a ten-year sentence, while the latter faces up to five years behind bars. 

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Source: The Source