On August 24, former federal correctional officer Victor Casado, 35, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and to introduce contraband into prison. He also agreed to forfeit $26,500 worth of bribes to the government. Casado was a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), a federal jail in Manhattan, from 2012 to 2018.
The smuggling scheme
In 2016 and 2017, Casado smuggled cellphones, alcohol, over-the-counter medications, and food into the MCC in exchange for bribe payments from inmates. The scheme is described in detail here.
In October 2017, one of the inmates pled guilty to bribing Casado and became a cooperating witness for the government. Read about the inmate’s case here.
Other allegations against Victor Casado
Casado entered into a romantic relationship with a paralegal who he met while she was meeting with an inmate at the MCC. He asked the inmate for money to travel to the Dominican Republic and instructed him to send the money to the paralegal. Casado also warned the inmate that there would be consequences if he told on him.
Casado has been out on bail since his arrest in April. His bail conditions include GPS monitoring, travel restrictions, and he is not allowed to possess any weapons.
Casado will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan on January 11, 2019. He faces up to five years in prison.