San Juan, Puerto Rico – Arcadia Zorrilla Hernández, Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, PR, was indicted and arrested for providing contraband in prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow. The FBI is in charge of the investigation in collaboration with the Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG).
Zorrilla Hernández is facing two counts for providing contraband in prison, and one count for making false statements. According to the indictment, in or about May 2019, to in or about June 2019, Zorrilla Hernández knowingly and intentionally provided and attempted to provide a cellular telephone and Suboxone, a narcotic drug, to an inmate housed at MDC.
The indictment further alleges that, in August 14, 2019, Zorrilla Hernández agreed to an interview with special agents from the FBI and DOJ-OIG, and willfully and knowingly provided false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements to the agents. Zorrilla Hernández told the agents that she had not spoken and communicated with the family members of the inmate while the inmate was in custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The statements and representations were false because, as the defendant then and there knew, she did speak and communicate, and had spoken and communicated, with the family members of the inmate while he was in custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“The defendant was supposed to provide supervision of inmates and enforce the rules and regulations governing MDC and the inmates’ conduct. Instead, she violated federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will not tolerate this type of misconduct, and will prosecute these offenses to the full extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by the FBI with the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Christine Amy.
The maximum penalties for these offenses are: 20 years for providing contraband to inmates, and up to five years in prison for lying to federal agents. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
