Four Employees of Juvenile Detention Center Plead Guilty to Taking Bribes

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Da’Vante Bolton, an employee of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), pleaded guilty to accepting bribes, admitting that he smuggled contraband into a juvenile detention facility in exchange for illegal payments. On September 3, 2024, September 10, 2024 and September 26, 2024, ACS employees Octavia Napier, Christopher Craig and Nigel King pleaded guilty, respectively, to Travel Act bribery charges in connection with the same conduct.  Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant.  All four defendants were Youth Development Specialists at the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn (Crossroads).  When sentenced, Bolton faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and Napier, Craig and King each face a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges.

“These defendants prioritized their own financial interests above the safety and security of residents and co-workers at the Crossroads Juvenile Center, giving dangerous contraband to juveniles in their care in exchange for bribes,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office and our law enforcement partners will not stop rooting out and prosecuting corruption in our City’s jails and juvenile detention facilities.”

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “These four City Youth Development Specialists were responsible for the safety and well-being of juveniles at the Crossroads Center in Brooklyn.   They failed the juveniles in their care, and the City, when they took bribes to smuggle dangerous items into Crossroads, including razor blades, prescription pills, and alcohol.  I thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their partnership in the investigation that led to guilty pleas of these four defendants.”

Approximately 120 residents, ranging in age from 14 to 20, are detained at Crossroads.  Residents at Crossroads are prohibited from possessing any contraband, including narcotics, cellular telephones, cigarettes, weapons and alcohol, among other prohibited items. ACS employees at Crossroads are trained to confiscate any contraband they find and must notify a supervisor if any contraband is discovered.  Although staff members are supposed to undergo a security screening whenever they enter the facility, a significant amount of contraband has recently been recovered from Crossroads residents.   Between approximately March 2022 and May 2024, at least 75 cell phones and more than 340 scalpels or blades were recovered from the facility, as well as narcotics and tobacco.

The defendants are or were Youth Development Specialists at Crossroads, who were responsible for supervising residents. Their responsibilities are similar to those of a correction officer at a jail facility, except, among other differences, Youth Development Specialists are restricted in the type of force they may use and are not permitted to carry pepper spray or restraints.

Da’Vante Bolton has been employed by ACS since March 2020.  Bolton accepted more than $20,000 in bribes from Crossroads residents or their associates and, in exchange, smuggled in razor blades and marijuana.

Christopher Craig has been employed by ACS since August 2018.  Craig received more than $5,000 in bribes to smuggle in contraband, including marijuana and tobacco.

Nigel King was employed by ACS from October 2021 to August 2024.  King accepted more than $6,000 in bribes for smuggling in marijuana, prescription pills and alcohol.

Octavia Napier was employed by ACS from June 2022 to May 2023.  Napier received more than $2,000 in bribes to both smuggle in contraband and allow a Crossroads resident to use Napier’s Cash App account to run the resident’s contraband distribution business from within Crossroads.

A fifth defendant, Roger Francis, is currently awaiting trial on the same charges.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. 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 are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Legal Assistant Thomas Englert.

Defendants Who Have Pled Guilty:

DA’VANTE BOLTON
Age: 31
Queens, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-383 (OEM)

CHRISTOPHER CRAIG
Age:  37
Brooklyn, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-345 (OEM)

NIGEL KING
Age:  45
Queens, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-368 (RPK)

OCTAVIA NAPIER
Age: 26
Brooklyn, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-328 (FB)

Defendant Awaiting Trial:

ROGER FRANCIS
Age: 58
Brooklyn, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-342 (NCM)