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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 15 January 2020

6 guards, 15 others Targeting rich neighborhoods,

charged in Rikers man stole 1,300 people's mail

Island bribery case
By JONATHAN DREW
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal plagued city jail facili- Associated Press
prosecutors announced ties," Margaret Garnett, RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina
charges Tuesday against the commissioner of the man was sentenced to more than three
six New York City correc- city's Department of In- years in prison for roaming neighborhoods
tional officers accused of vestigation, said in a after dark, stealing mail from mailboxes
taking thousands of dol- news release. "The arrests and then cashing thousands of dollars in
lars in bribes to smuggle today are another exam- pilfered checks, prosecutors said Tuesday.
drugs to inmates at the ple of a pattern in which Since at least 2016, Erik Magana's scheme
Rikers Island jail complex. inmates and outside con- targeted affluent neighborhoods in several
Fifteen other people, in- spirators identify correc- North Carolina towns including Charlotte,
cluding several inmates, tion officers vulnerable to Davidson and Gastonia as well as Fort Mill,
also were charged in corruption and use them South Carolina, according to court docu-
criminal complaints un- to carry drugs and other ments. Authorities say he would drive up
sealed in U.S. District illegal substances into the to mailboxes, reach his hand through the
Court in Brooklyn. jails." window of the car and take mail that resi-
The scheme had been The Department of Cor- dents had failed to bring inside after day-
under investigation since rections officers charged time delivery. Authorities documented
early 2019, prosecutors in the case are: Dar- mail stolen from at least 1,300 victims.
said, and involved guards rington James, 30, Pat- The 34-year-old Charlotte resident, who
sneaking a smartphone, rick Legerme, 29, Aldrin pleaded guilty in April to mail theft and This undated booking photo provided by the
Mecklenburg County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office
marijuana and other Livingston, 31, Michael aggravated identity theft, was sentenced shows Erik Magana, of Charlotte, N.C., who
drugs into the troubled Murray, 28, Angel Rodri- to 42 months in prison in federal court. He authorities said stole mail from at least 1,300
jail complex. guez, 23, and Christopher also was ordered to pay $77,000 in restitu- victims’ mailboxes and then fraudulently
Investigators said they Walker, 28. tion, which represents documented losses deposited checks.
found a dozen clear plas- It was not immediately to banks he defrauded, though the ac- Associated Press
tic bags of marijuana af- clear whether they had tual cost of his fraud is likely much higher, victims also reported that checks or credit
ter searching one inmate defense attorneys to prosecutors said. "Contained within the cards were used without their consent. The
involved in the conspira- comment on their behalf. defendant's apartment were undelivered inspector wrote that he obtained a war-
cy. They said he also had A dozen of the defen- Hamilton tickets, Christmas ornaments, rant and began tracking the blue 2017
an iPhone and charger in dants were expected to merchandise, passports, state and feder- Mercedes sedan driven by Magana dur-
his laundry bag. appear before a federal al income tax refund checks, credit and ing early morning runs through affluent
Authorities said they re- magistrate Tuesday. debit cards, and business and vendor neighborhoods. Prosecutors wrote that
viewed financial records, Prosecutors said three payments, amongst others," prosecutors over an approximately one-week period
conducted surveillance others remained at large. wrote in court documents. "The time and "he was tracked during the overnight hours
and listened to recorded New York City lawmakers energy many of these victims expended driving through Charlotte-area neighbor-
calls in which the defen- voted in October to close to obtain replacement tax refund checks hoods almost every day that mail was de-
dants used coded lan- Rikers Island, one of the from the IRS or North Carolina, cancelling livered. Postal Inspectors also personally
guage to talk about the world's largest jails, and and replacing credit cards, and reissuing observed the defendant stealing mail by
smuggling. replace the complex with checks to vendors for payments cannot reaching his arm through the open win-
In at least one instance, four smaller jails intended be underestimated." U.S. Postal Inspector dow of his vehicle." Magana would then
prosecutors said, "Oak- to be more modern and Anton Jones wrote in a court document take stolen checks, sometimes forging the
land Raider jerseys" was humane and closer to the that his investigation of Magana began recipient's signature, and deposit them
code for marijuana. city's main courthouses in in late 2018 after authorities received nu- into bank accounts, then quickly withdraw
"Contraband smuggling Manhattan, Brooklyn, the merous reports from the Charlotte area of cash before the banks had time to notice
enterprises have long Bronx and Queens. q people having mail stolen from residential the funds were stolen, according to court
mailboxes during early morning hours. The documents. q