ECI drug operation allegedly lead to violence

With as big as the drug trafficking scandal was at Eastern Correctional Institution federal officials say violence was sure to come.  

“We found that much of the violence at ECI, just like on the street was associated with drug trafficking and if we put an end to the drug trafficking we can put an end to a lot of related criminal activity that arises from it,” said United States Attorney Rod Rosenstein. 

In going through federal documents we were able to find some of those violent acts associated with this massive conspiracy.

Beginning first in June of last year when a prisoner Zachary Martin a.k.a. Dice asked one of his outside facilitators in a phone conversation  to use a gun to intimidate those on the outside.

Dice saying in a phone conversation “man I’m talking about that pistol” and explaining that he needs those on the outside to see that he means business.

Moving to October 2015, when inmate Troy Johnson tells one of his facilitators that an inmate had asked Blood Gang members to assault him, but in a twist Johnson reportedly said he knew the blood member they asked to hurt him and that person was quote more loyal to him and would assault the other inmate instead.

In the winter of 2015 C.O. Travis Dennis, who was at one point allegedly smuggling contraband in tells another officer he had a hit put out on him.    

Dennis reportedly said he was moved from the East Compound to the West Compound because the Black Guerilla Family gang had put a $100,000 hit out on him.

Then in July of this year two stabbings reportedly ordered by Correctional officers.   

First CO Rachelle Hankerson ordered a blood gang member she was working with to stab another inmate at her request.   

Then 10 days later CO Stephen Wise ordering an inmate to stab a different inmate that had filed a complaint against him  a move that apparently affected Wise’s business.

Now those two officers that ordered stabbings Hankerson and Wise both faced civil rights charges in addition to racketeering charges.  

I’m told by federal officials that they appeared in court Thursday for detention hearings and that both are being detained pending trial.
 

Now all 80 participants in this ECI scandal face up to 20 years in federal prison for their actions, but Hankerson, Wise and the two inmates who allegedly carried out the stabbings also face a max of 10 years.