Federal authorities have announced charges against nine inmates in a series of brutal assaults that left two men dead and others seriously injured at a Brooklyn jail.
Each suspect was already being held at the Sunset Park Metropolitan Detention Center on separate charges.
But they made the situation worse by chasing their fellow inmates, according to a statement from Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
“Violence will not be tolerated in federal prisons,” Peace said. “Let these charges serve as a warning to those who commit or facilitate criminal activity behind bars. Your actions will be exposed and you will be held accountable.”
According to Peace News, two of the suspects, Andrew Simpson, 26, of Brooklyn, and DeVaughn Thomas, 24, of Queens, attacked inmate Uriel White on June 7. He was charged with stabbing him to death.
Three others: Jamaul Aziz, 44, of Manhattan, also known as “Bugs.” James Bazemore (42), also known as “TJ” or “RS,” lives in the Bronx. She added that Alberto Santiago, 28, of Queens, known on the streets as “Dotcom,” was charged with the July 17 murder of inmate Edwin Cordero.
Peace said killers from both groups used makeshift knives to carry out their bloody work.
All five have been charged with murder and could face life in prison if convicted.
Another inmate, Luis Rivas, 29, of Jamaica, was charged with attempted murder for stabbing a fellow inmate 44 times in April.
Bruce Silva, 28, of the Bronx, and Hassan Elliott, 26, of Philadelphia, are charged with assault after they allegedly tried to stab another incarcerated man. Lurie Mojica, 21, of the Bronx, is also charged with assault on a federal officer after allegedly punching a security guard in the face in August.
“Several inmates at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center have committed a series of apparent violent assaults, including the murders of fellow inmates Uriel White and Edwin Cordero,” FBI Assistant Director Dennehy said in a statement. There is a suspicion that this was orchestrated.”
“While this federal prison houses dangerous pretrial inmates, order and safety must remain our top priority,” Dennehy continued. “Awaiting possible criminal charges is not a valid reason to subject detained individuals to unnecessary attack.”
Each suspect is expected to be arraigned in the coming days, the statement said.
