FOUR INMATES INDICTED FOR BRUTAL SLASHING IN RIKERS ISLAND

FOUR INMATES INDICTED FOR BRUTAL SLASHING IN RIKERS ISLAND

Defendants–Members of Folk Nation Gang–Allegedly Attacked Inmate to Get Moved to Another Block with Fewer Trinitarios Gang Members

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two current and two former inmates on Rikers Island have been indicted for Attempted Murder, first-degree Assault and other charges for stabbing and slashing an inmate, leaving him seriously injured.

District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants allegedly converged on the victim, and one slashed the victim’s neck and face, then all of them repeatedly slashed and stabbed him as he fell to the floor. This case is part of my Rikers Island Violence Reduction Initiative, which prosecutes violence in the jail with a focus on evidence-based cases when victims do not cooperate in the case. We are doing everything we can with our partners to hold people accountable, but more has to be done to prevent such brutal crimes.”

New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Louis A. Molina said, “Violence inside our jails will not be tolerated and the Department of Correction will continue to assist the Bronx District Attorney’s Office to ensure that these individuals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This alleged attack could have been deadly, but our Correction Officers jumped into action to save the individual’s life. I want to thank them for their bravery as well as our Correction Intelligence Bureau for their work on this matter.”

District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Corey Henry, 21, Ahmed Morrison, 21, Travis Laroc, 21 and Angel Lopez, 20, were indicted for Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of first-degree Assault, two counts of second-degree Assault, first-degree Promoting Prison Contraband and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Henry and Morrison were arraigned on Tuesday, November 27, 2023 and Wednesday, November 28, 2023, respectively, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Kim Parker and were remanded. Lopez was arrested in Brooklyn and was arraigned November 30, 2023. Bail was set at $250,000 cash and $750,000 bond. Laroc, who is in an upstate prison, was arraigned today by Judge Parker and was remanded.

According to the investigation, on August 3, 2023, in a dayroom of the Robert N. Davoren Center, the defendants, acting in concert, attacked a fellow inmate stabbing and slashing him repeatedly, inflicting Serious Physical Injury, using makeshift weapons. The defendants were seen on video surveillance watching as the victim was distracted playing games. Morrison is seen signaling to the other defendants and they surround the victim, and Corey Henry allegedly slashed the victim’s neck and face. The victim attempted to flee but he is stabbed and slashed by the defendants until Department of Correction staff intervened and removed the victim, placing him behind a locked vestibule door. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan where he was treated for multiple slash and stab wounds. He required numerous stitches for his wounds.

According to the investigation, the defendants are members of the “Folk Nation,” and allegedly committed the assault on a Trinitarios member for the purpose of manipulating a transfer from Robert N. Davoren Center as they felt they were outnumbered by Trinitarios in their current block.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Assistant District Attorney Georgia D. Barker of the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau, under the supervision of Jonathan Abramovitz, Director of the Rikers Island Violence Reduction Initiative; Jose Arocho, Deputy Chief of the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau, Francis Alberts, Chief of the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Denise Kodjo, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, Chief of the Investigations Division. District Attorney Clark thanked BXDA Rikers Island Intelligence Analyst Aryeh Halevy of the Crime Strategies Bureau for his work on the investigation. District Attorney Clark thanked Trial Preparation Assistant Massiel Castillo for her assistance.

District Attorney Clark thanked New York City Department of Correction Central Intelligence Bureau Investigator James Ruiz, Investigator Juan Rivera, Investigator Jeffrey Rios and Investigator Walter Holmes for their diligent work in the investigation.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.