Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Conviction Of Rikers Island Correction Officer In Connection With Cover-Up Of Inmate Assault
summary
Rodiny Calypso, a Rikers Island correction officer, was convicted of filing a false report after brutally assaulting a handcuffed inmate with punches and elbow strikes in a shower stall on February 27, 2014, then lying in his Use of Force report by claiming he only hit the inmate in the upper torso, despite video evidence and witness testimony, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
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Rodiny Calypso, a correction officer at Rikers Island’s Otis Bantum Correctional Center, was convicted of filing a false federal form after assaulting a handcuffed inmate in a shower stall on February 27, 2014, punching and elbowing him multiple times in the head, causing lacerations to his face and scalp. Despite surveillance footage and inmate witnesses confirming the unprovoked attack, Calypso submitted a fabricated Use of Force report claiming he only struck the inmate in the 'upper torso,' omitting the headlock and repeated blows. He was acquitted of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice but found guilty of one count of filing a false report, a crime carrying a maximum 20-year sentence, with sentencing scheduled for November 30, 2017.
narrative
Rodiny Calypso, a correction officer at Rikers Island’s Otis Bantum Correctional Center, assaulted a handcuffed inmate in a shower stall on February 27, 2014, punching him multiple times in the face, placing him in a headlock, and elbowing him approximately five times in the head, resulting in lacerations to the inmate’s face and scalp. The entire assault was captured on surveillance video and witnessed by multiple inmates, yet Calypso filed a false Use of Force report a full day later, falsely claiming he only struck the inmate in the 'upper torso' and omitting the violent head strikes and headlock. Although acquitted of charges of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice, he was convicted of one count of filing a false federal form in violation of Department of Correction directives requiring truthful reporting of force. The case was prosecuted by the Southern District of New York’s Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units, following a joint investigation by the FBI, NYC Department of Correction, NYC Department of Investigation, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Calypso, 38, of Springfield Gardens, New York, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 30, 2017. The U.S. Attorney emphasized that the conviction underscores the government’s commitment to protecting inmates’ constitutional rights and holding correctional officers accountable for covering up abuse. This case highlights systemic failures in oversight at Rikers Island and the critical role of video evidence in exposing misconduct.
Classified obstruction(confidence 100%). No EDGAR filing fingerprint (criminal/DOJ-side scheme). detection rule →
Parties
inmate assaultJoon H. Kimrikers islandrikers island correction officerrodiny calypso
Keywords
calypsoinmate-rikers islandassaultcorrection officercorrectionnewinmateofficerrikersislandrodiny calypsocity correctioninmatesforce
Extracted insights
Entities 5
- person inmate assault
- person Joon H. Kim
- person rikers island
- person rikers island correction officer
- person rodiny calypso
Triples 27
- Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Conviction Rikers Island Correction Officer
- Rikers Island Correction Officer Cover-Up Inmate Assault
- Rodiny Calypso Filing a False Report Connection With Cover-Up Of Inmate Assault
- Joon H. Kim Announced Rodiny Calypso Convicted of Filing a False Report
- Rodiny Calypso Violating Inmate’s Civil Rights
- Rodiny Calypso Obstruction Of Justice Count
- Jury Acquitted Rodiny Calypso On One Count Of Violating The Inmate’s Civil Rights
- Jury Acquitted Rodiny Calypso On One Count Of Obstruction Of Justice
- Jury Returned The Verdict After A One-Week Trial
- Rodiny Calypso Lies About His Use Of Force
- Rodiny Calypso Undermined Investigation Into His Brutal Beating Of A Handcuffed, Defenseless Inmate
- Rikers Island Maintained By New York City Department Of Correction
- Inmate-1 Housed In 5 North, A Dormitory Area Within The Obcc
- 5 North Houses Inmates In Need Of Maximum Security
- Shower Facilities Within 5 North Occupied By One Inmate At A Time
- Calypso Relieved Another Correction Officer At 5 North While Inmate-1 Was In The Shower
- Calypso Had An Extended And Heated Verbal Exchange With Inmate-1
- Calypso Picked Up Some Personal Items Inmate-1 Had Dropped Outside The Door Through The Port
- Calypso Spoke To A Fellow Correction Officer One Level Down Within The Dorm Area
- Officer-1 Left The Dorm Area And Returned With Another Officer
- Calypso Rear-Cuffed Inmate-1 For Removal
- Calypso Opened The Door To The Shower Stall And Punched Inmate-1 Several Times In The Face
- Calypso Put Inmate-1 Into A Headlock And Punched Him Several More Times In The Head
- Calypso Began To Lose His Footing And Clung To Inmate-1’s Side
- Officer-1 Arrived Outside The Stall And Restrained Inmate-1
- Calypso Regained His Footing And Elbowed Inmate-1 Repeatedly In The Head
- Inmate-1 Suffered Lacerations To His Face
Extracted body text (6,125c)
Press Release Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Conviction Of Rikers Island Correction Officer In Connection With Cover-Up Of Inmate Assault Thursday, August 17, 2017 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Officer Rodiny Calypso Convicted of Filing a False Report Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RODINY CALYPSO, a New York City Correction Officer, was convicted yesterday of filing a false report in connection with the assault of a handcuffed inmate at Rikers Island. The jury acquitted the defendant on one count of violating the inmate’s civil rights and one count of obstruction of justice. The jury returned the verdict after a one-week trial before the Honorable Valerie E. Caproni. Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Prisoners at Rikers Island have the same constitutional rights we all enjoy, and corrections officers do not have the right to abuse inmates in their custody and care. Rodiny Calypso’s lies about his use of force undermined the investigation into his brutal beating of a handcuffed, defenseless inmate. We will continue to aggressively protect the rights of prisoners and the integrity of investigations into uses of force to ensure that justice reaches everywhere, including isolated corners of Rikers Island.” According to the Complaint, Indictment, and evidence presented at trial: Rikers Island is a jail complex, located in the Bronx, New York, maintained by the New York City Department of Correction. At the time of his assault, the inmate (“Inmate-1”) was a pretrial detainee in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center (“OBCC”), a facility that houses, among other inmates, inmates in need of maximum security. Inmate-1 was housed in 5 North, a dormitory area within the OBCC in which inmates were generally kept in solitary confinement in individual cells for 23 hours per day. The shower facilities within 5 North were individual stalls, to be occupied by one inmate at a time, and to which inmates were brought handcuffed, then uncuffed through a port in the shower stall door, and then handcuffed again through the port before being brought out of the stalls by correction officers. The Assault and Cover-Up Shortly before noon on February 27, 2014, CALYPSO relieved another correction officer at 5 North while Inmate-1 was in the shower. Inmate-1 and CALYPSO had an extended and heated verbal exchange, during which CALYPSO picked up some personal items Inmate-1 had dropped outside the door through the port. At one point, CALYPSO stepped away from the door and spoke to a fellow correction officer one level down within the dorm area. That person left the dorm area and returned with another officer (“Officer-1”). CALYPSO rear-cuffed Inmate-1 for removal, and then opened the door to the shower stall. Within seconds, CALYPSO punched Inmate-1 several times in the face. He followed Inmate-1 into the shower area, where he put Inmate-1 into a headlock and punched him several more times in the head. CALYPSO began to lose his footing at this point, and clung to Inmate-1’s side. Officer-1 then arrived outside the stall. As Officer-1 restrained Inmate-1, CALYPSO regained his footing and elbowed Inmate-1 repeatedly – approximately five times – in the head. As a result of the assault, Inmate-1 suffered lacerations to his face and the back of his head. The entire assault was captured on surveillance video and witnessed by multiple inmates whose cells were positioned across from the shower area. The New York City Department of Correction issues directives governing the circumstances under which the use of force against inmates is appropriate. Under these directives, when a restrained inmate is still dangerous to himself and others, force is to be used as a last resort. The directives also dictate that any use of force must be reported – on a “Use of Force” report that is filled out truthfully and promptly. A full day after the assault, in violation of the directives, CALYPSO filled out a “Use of Force” report on which he was supposed to report truthfully the circumstances of that assault. In this report, CALYPSO attempted to justify his conduct by lying about how he and Inmate-1 had acted. He mischaracterized and misstated portions of the assault, omitting the close-fisted punches he delivered to Inmate-1 while holding him in a headlock and claiming that he had hit Inmate-1 only in the “upper torso” area. * * * RODINY CALYPSO, 38, of Springfield Gardens, New York, was convicted of one count of filing a false form. CALYPSO faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. CALYPSO is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2017. Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Kim also thanked the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York City Department of Correction, Investigative Division, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation, which remains ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin S. Bell and Tara M. La Morte are in charge of the prosecution. Updated August 17, 2017 Topic Civil Rights Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 17-266
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Press Release Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Conviction Of Rikers Island Correction Officer In Connection With Cover-Up Of Inmate Assault Thursday, August 17, 2017 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Officer Rodiny Calypso Convicted of Filing a False Report Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RODINY CALYPSO, a New York City Correction Officer, was convicted yesterday of filing a false report in connection with the assault of a handcuffed inmate at Rikers Island. The jury acquitted the defendant on one count of violating the inmate’s civil rights and one count of obstruction of justice. The jury returned the verdict after a one-week trial before the Honorable Valerie E. Caproni. Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Prisoners at Rikers Island have the same constitutional rights we all enjoy, and corrections officers do not have the right to abuse inmates in their custody and care. Rodiny Calypso’s lies about his use of force undermined the investigation into his brutal beating of a handcuffed, defenseless inmate. We will continue to aggressively protect the rights of prisoners and the integrity of investigations into uses of force to ensure that justice reaches everywhere, including isolated corners of Rikers Island.” According to the Complaint, Indictment, and evidence presented at trial: Rikers Island is a jail complex, located in the Bronx, New York, maintained by the New York City Department of Correction. At the time of his assault, the inmate (“Inmate-1”) was a pretrial detainee in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center (“OBCC”), a facility that houses, among other inmates, inmates in need of maximum security. Inmate-1 was housed in 5 North, a dormitory area within the OBCC in which inmates were generally kept in solitary confinement in individual cells for 23 hours per day. The shower facilities within 5 North were individual stalls, to be occupied by one inmate at a time, and to which inmates were brought handcuffed, then uncuffed through a port in the shower stall door, and then handcuffed again through the port before being brought out of the stalls by correction officers. The Assault and Cover-Up Shortly before noon on February 27, 2014, CALYPSO relieved another correction officer at 5 North while Inmate-1 was in the shower. Inmate-1 and CALYPSO had an extended and heated verbal exchange, during which CALYPSO picked up some personal items Inmate-1 had dropped outside the door through the port. At one point, CALYPSO stepped away from the door and spoke to a fellow correction officer one level down within the dorm area. That person left the dorm area and returned with another officer (“Officer-1”). CALYPSO rear-cuffed Inmate-1 for removal, and then opened the door to the shower stall. Within seconds, CALYPSO punched Inmate-1 several times in the face. He followed Inmate-1 into the shower area, where he put Inmate-1 into a headlock and punched him several more times in the head. CALYPSO began to lose his footing at this point, and clung to Inmate-1’s side. Officer-1 then arrived outside the stall. As Officer-1 restrained Inmate-1, CALYPSO regained his footing and elbowed Inmate-1 repeatedly – approximately five times – in the head. As a result of the assault, Inmate-1 suffered lacerations to his face and the back of his head. The entire assault was captured on surveillance video and witnessed by multiple inmates whose cells were positioned across from the shower area. The New York City Department of Correction issues directives governing the circumstances under which the use of force against inmates is appropriate. Under these directives, when a restrained inmate is still dangerous to himself and others, force is to be used as a last resort. The directives also dictate that any use of force must be reported – on a “Use of Force” report that is filled out truthfully and promptly. A full day after the assault, in violation of the directives, CALYPSO filled out a “Use of Force” report on which he was supposed to report truthfully the circumstances of that assault. In this report, CALYPSO attempted to justify his conduct by lying about how he and Inmate-1 had acted. He mischaracterized and misstated portions of the assault, omitting the close-fisted punches he delivered to Inmate-1 while holding him in a headlock and claiming that he had hit Inmate-1 only in the “upper torso” area. * * * RODINY CALYPSO, 38, of Springfield Gardens, New York, was convicted of one count of filing a false form. CALYPSO faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. CALYPSO is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2017. Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Kim also thanked the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York City Department of Correction, Investigative Division, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation, which remains ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin S. Bell and Tara M. La Morte are in charge of the prosecution. Updated August 17, 2017 Topic Civil Rights Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 17-266