Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Defendant Allegedly Stashed Marijuana and Cigarettes Inside Government-Issued Protective Vest
Earlier today, a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging former federal correctional officer Najee Jackson with attempting to smuggle contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (MDC-Brooklyn). Jackson was arrested this morning and is scheduled for an initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), announced the arrest.
“As alleged, Najee Jackson violated his duty and abused his position of trust as a correctional officer by attempting to smuggle contraband into the very institution he was sworn to protect,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The smuggling of contraband into a jail endangers correctional officers and inmates. Disrupting corruption in any form at MDC-Brooklyn will continue to be a priority of my Office, working in tandem with our federal law enforcement partners.”
“Jackson’s alleged attempt to smuggle contraband into the Brooklyn prison compromised the safety and security of the institution,” stated DOJ-OIG Geach, “The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to bringing to justice any Federal Bureau of Prisons employee who abuses their authority and attempts to smuggle illegal contraband into federal prisons.”
As alleged in the complaint, Jackson became a correctional officer at MDC-Brooklyn in November 2023. On January 21, 2025, Jackson arrived at the jail around 12:15 a.m. to begin working a night shift. Before entering MDC-Brooklyn, staff members are required to pass through a screening area consisting of a metal detector and a conveyor belt that passes through an x-ray machine. Staff members entering the facility are also required to place their personal belongings on the conveyor belt to pass through the x-ray machine, and to walk through the metal detector. Jackson placed various personal belongings into a bin on the conveyor belt, and then walked through the metal detector, triggering the alarm. After making several failed attempts to clear the metal detector, Jackson removed his Bureau of Prisons-issued protective vest, which was found to contain vacuum‑sealed bags of marijuana, cigarettes, two lighters and rolling papers. Two days later, Jackson resigned from the Bureau of Prisons.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Jackson faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Russell Noble is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
NAJEE JACKSON
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-18 (VMS)