Brooklyn, New York · Arrest Oct. 14, 2026 · DOJ release dated Oct. 14, 2026
What the record confirms
According to a U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York release dated Oct. 14, 2026, Melissa Brooks, 37, of Brooklyn, a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, was arrested and charged in an indictment with bribery of a public official and conspiracy to commit bribery.
The Justice Department said she was scheduled to be arraigned that afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Cho in Brooklyn federal court. It says she faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General and the FBI announced the indictment and arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang is prosecuting. Brooklyn Paper and News 12 also reported the indictment.
What prosecutors say happened
Prosecutors allege that from about July 2024 through December 2025, Brooks accepted cash payments from MDC inmates and their associates in exchange for smuggling contraband into the jail.
According to the Justice Department, on Oct. 18, 2024, Brooks allegedly received a $5,000 peer-to-peer payment minutes after an inmate's sister sent $5,000 to an associate.
Prosecutors say that in a December 2025 text exchange, after an inmate indicated he expected Brooks to bring him contraband, she replied with the message excerpted below.
Highlighted excerpt
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, quoting the Dec. 15, 2025 message, Oct. 14, 2026: "these mf are trying to throw my ass in jail baby."
What the defense says
No public statement from Brooks or an attorney for her has been found. Brooks has not been convicted of any crime. An indictment is an allegation.
What isn't public yet
The release does not say what contraband was involved, how many inmates allegedly paid, or the total amount Brooks allegedly received. Bond conditions and the next court date have not been confirmed.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer Indicted for Bribery," Oct. 14, 2026 – https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/bureau-prisons-correctional-officer-indicted-bribery
- Brooklyn Paper, Melissa Brooks bribery indictment, Oct. 2026 – https://www.brooklynpaper.com/melissa-brooks-officer-bribery-indictment/
- News 12 New York, "MDC correctional officer accused of taking bribes from inmates to smuggle in contraband," Oct. 2026 – https://newyork.news12.com/mdc-correctional-officer-accused-of-taking-bribes-from-inmates-to-smuggle-in-contraband
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