On Wednesday, June 26th, five employees of the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn were charged with conspiracy to commit Travel Act bribery for smuggling contraband into the facility in exchange for bribes. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, announced the charges along with the New York City Department of Investigation and the FBI.
The defendants, Da’Vante Bolton, Roger Francis, Christopher Craig, Nigel King, and former employee Octavia Napier, were Youth Development Specialists at Crossroads Juvenile Center. They allegedly accepted cash payments to smuggle items such as drugs, weapons, and other contraband into the detention center. This conduct posed a serious risk to both the residents and staff.
Between March 2022 and May 2024, authorities recovered over 75 cell phones and more than 340 scalpels or blades from the facility. The employees were supposed to confiscate contraband and report it to supervisors but instead took bribes ranging from $2,000 to $20,000. The smuggled items included marijuana, tobacco, prescription pills, and alcohol.
U.S. Attorney Peace emphasized that these actions violated the employees’ duty to ensure the safety and security of the facility. He said, “Today’s arrests demonstrate that this office remains committed to rooting our corruption and cleaning up our city’s jails and juvenile detention facilities.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith highlighted the breach of trust and the prioritization of personal gain over the safety and rehabilitation of the juveniles.
The government’s case is being handled by the Public Integrity Section, with Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Pilmar and Andrew D. Grubin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Cassie Perez of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office leading the prosecution. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
