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Two New York City correction officers smuggled contraband to Bloods gang members on Rikers Island — including one guard who apparently had a romance with an inmate nicknamed “Tomato Sauce,” the feds alleged Tuesday.
Krystle Burrell, 35, and Katrina Patterson, 31, each allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars in bribes in separate schemes involving different inmates at the problem-plagued lockup.
Burrell, a six-year veteran of the Department of Correction, was paid nearly $10,000 to pass at least two cellphones to Terrae Hinds, who she seemed to have a romantic relationship with, according to a criminal complaint.
The jail guard is also accused of helping Hinds, 28, with his business selling black-market goods to other inmates.
Hinds — whose gang nickname is “Tomato Sauce” — was locked up at the Anna M. Kross Center on charges related to a shooting when he allegedly set up the bribes to Burrell between June 2021 and July 2021.
Court documents state that Burrell and the prisoner “appear to be in a romantic relationship.” In a June 25 phone call, the two said “I love you” and “mimicked a kiss,” the complaint states.
During another call, they “discussed their sexual relationship, and Hinds implied that Burrell had a previous sexual encounter with him when he was incarcerated,” the filing says.
Burrell also helped Hinds’ family with organizing his bail, securing his release from Rikers — and continued to help locked-up gang members on his behalf after he was sprung, the feds said.
The other correction officer, Patterson, took at least $34,090 in bribes from two baby mamas of Michael Ross, 36 — aka “Sparks” — who was being held on illegal gun possession charges, according to a criminal complaint.
The girlfriends, Ashley Medina, 25, and Imani Matthews, 24, allegedly used CashApp to pay Patterson between October 2020 and March 2021. In exchange, Patterson snuck contraband, such as marijuana and K2, to Ross in Rikers’ Robert N. Davoren Center, the filing states.
In one instance, prosecutors said, Matthews texted that she wanted Patterson to pass “4 black joints in 1 paper,” to her beau — to which the jail guard responded: “it better be wrapped so many times I don’t want to smell it.”
Patterson, who also started working for the DOC in 2016, was allegedly caught on surveillance video smuggling bags of narcotics to Ross’s cohorts at the jail.
The DOC said the guards would be suspended without pay.
Matthews, Medina, Ross and Hinds are also charged in the bribery conspiracy case, which is being prosecuted by the Eastern District of New York. All six defendants face up to five years in prison if convicted.
In a statement, DOC Commissioner Louis Molina called the allegations “extremely disturbing.”
“Smuggling contraband is not only deplorable and illegal, but it puts everyone in our facilities at risk,” Molina said. “We have zero-tolerance for corruption and it’s paramount as public servants that we are committed to impeccable integrity.
“If these officers are found guilty they will be terminated and their shield numbers will never be worn again.”
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