Corruption

Rikers Guards Ran Drug and Weapons Smuggling Ring, Bronx DA Says

Correction officers at Rikers Island put their coworkers in danger running a massive smuggling ring that brought weapons and drugs into the city's beleaguered jail, according to law enforcement officials.

Correction Officer Kevin McKoy, 31, whose nicknames include "The Plug" and "Ticks-and-fleas" earned at least $10,000 in bribes for bringing in scalpels and synthetic marijuana, officials from the Bronx District Attorney and the Department of Investigation said.

A total of 17 people were indicted in the ring in a sweeping takedown by theDepartment of Investigation and the Bronx District Attorney's Office, including two correction officers, six inmates, eight civilians, and a cook employed by theDepartment of Correction, officials said.