ECI CO that ordered inmate to be stabbed takes plea deal
The Eastern Correctional Institution correctional officer that ordered an inmate to stab another inmate and who was also a key player in the alleged massive contraband smuggling operation at the prison has taken a plea deal.
Rachelle Hankerson, who began working as a correctional officer at ECI in October of 2011, signed a plea deal Wednesday admitting that she was paid thousands of dollars to smuggle cellphones, suboxone strips, K2 or synthetic marijuana and tobacco into the prison. Hankerson also admitted that on July 21, 2016 she had inmate David Bond, a member of the Bloods gang at the prison, stab another inmate. According to court documents, Hankerson had an argument with the inmate, who is referred to as D.S. in the documents, and believed that D.S. had disrespected her.
In retaliation Hankerson ordered Bond to go to D.S.’s cell and have a conversation with him. According to court documents, Bond did not have permission to be in D.S.’s tier or cell, but was granted permission to do so by Hankerson. Bond allegedly told inmate D.S. not to “disrespect” her and asked him “what the (expletive) you talking to her like that for”. D.S. then confronted Hankerson about her sending Bond to go talk to him. Shortly after Hankerson gave Bond permission to enter D.S.’s cell a second time, at which point Bond violently stabbed D.S. multiple times.
According to court documents, following the stabbing an inmate alerted Hankerson that a stabbing had occurred. However instead of alerting prison authorities she chose to leave the area.
Hankerson was later told by an inmate that D.S. had been taken for emergency medical care. Hankerson told the inmate who had informed her that D.S. had been involved in a violent altercation and to provide a false story to prison authorities that she had not been in that area of the prison when the attack happened.
As part of her deal Hankerson pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in violation of the federal RICO act and deprivation of rights under color of law. The deprivation of rights charge is in relation to the stabbing.
Under the sentencing guidelines Hankerson be sentenced to 21 years for her racketeering charge and 16 years for the stabbing.
Hankerson is set to be sentenced in February of 2017.
