By John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — A rookie correction officer at the notorious MDC Brooklyn federal jail got right to work taking bribes to bring in contraband, pocketing thousands within a few months of taking the job, federal prosecutors allege.
Melissa Brooks, 37, of Brooklyn, is the latest guard at the troubled Sunset Park jail to be arrested in a smuggling plot. She could face up to 15 years behind bars if convicted at trial.
Brooks started working at MDC Brooklyn on July 14, 2024 and started taking bribes from family members and associates of inmates that month, according to an indictment unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday. One message from an inmate’s mother to Brooks read that “(he)said he needs a phone,” the indictment alleges.
Smugglers in other cases have brought in cell phones, chargers, drugs, cigarettes, scalpel blades and other items.
In one instance, Brooks got $5,000 in October 2024 sent to her through a peer-to-peer app by an inmate’s association, after that association got the money from the inmate’s sister, court filings allege.
A year later, that same inmate reached out to Brooks using a contraband phone, telling her he wanted his “stuff” and that he ” thought you was gonna bring it to me,” the indictment alleges.
Brooks responded with three laughing and crying emojis and wrote “these mf are trying to throw my ass in jail baby,” the indictment alleges.
Brooks was ordered released on a $50,000 bond Wednesday. Her lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
“As alleged, the defendant betrayed her duty as a correctional officer, endangering the safety of MDC staff and inmates, all to satisfy her own greed,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said Wednesday.
In January 2025, former guard Najee Jackson was busted for showing up to work wearing a protective vest stuffed with pot, cigarettes and other contraband. He was sentenced in December to six months house arrest and two years probation.
In August 2024, Fabienne Osias, 40, admitted in federal court she tried to sneak five USB charging cubes and nine cables to an inmate. She was sentenced to a year of probation in January 2025.
And in July 2024, former Correction Officer Quandelle Joseph was sentenced to 2½ years behind bars for taking bribes to smuggle contraband into the federal jail.
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