Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a former nurse manager, the second highest ranking nurse at the Nassau County Correctional Center (NCCC), was indicted and arraigned today on Promoting Prison Contraband, Conspiracy, and other related charges for allegedly assisting an inmate at the jail to obtain dangerous contraband.
Yasmin Talbot, 48, of Levittown, was arraigned before Judge Terence Murphy on grand jury indictment charges of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree (a D felony); two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (an E felony); two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (an E felony); three counts of Official Misconduct (an A misdemeanor); and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree (an A misdemeanor). The defendant pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $500 cash, $5,000 bond, and $5,000 partially secured bond. On a pending case for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child (an E felony), the defendant was remanded. She is due back in court on January 9, 2024. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of up to 2-1/3 to 7 years in prison.
Christopher Wright, 37, an inmate at NCCC at the time of the alleged conduct, was previously indicted for Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree and Promoting Prison Contraband in the Second Degree. He is also charged in this superseding indictment with Official Misconduct and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree. Wright pleaded not guilty, and bail was $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond, and $50,000 partially secured bond. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of up to 3-1/2 to 7 years in prison. He is due back in court on January 8, 2024.
“Yasmin Talbot allegedly used her position to help an inmate gain access to a dangerous blade and confidential information on prisoner locations that posed a safety and security risk to other inmates and jail staff,” said DA Donnelly. “Abuse of power by correctional employees and those who work in the facilities has a destabilizing effect on the jail population and creates potentially dangerous conditions. NCDA, working with our partners at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in inappropriate relationships with inmates at the expense of their integrity."
“I would like to thank the Investigators of the Sheriff’s Department Internal Affairs Unit as well as the Investigators of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for working together to effectuate the arrest of these two individuals,” said Nassau County Sheriff Anthony La Rocco. “Let this be a warning to others that might consider bringing contraband into the correctional center. We will not tolerate anyone endangering the safety of the facility and anyone who does, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The safety and security of this correctional center, its staff, and the inmates are of the utmost importance.”
DA Donnelly said that, according to the investigation and indictment, between January 2023 and May 2023, Talbot, a nurse manager employed by NuHealth and the second highest ranking nurse at NCCC, allegedly engaged in an unauthorized relationship with Christopher Wright, an inmate at the correctional facility.
Talbot allegedly had numerous inappropriate and unauthorized conversations with Wright during hundreds of calls, in which they discussed Talbot bringing contraband into the jail and funding Wright’s commissary account with a fictitious name. Talbot also allegedly gave Wright housing locations of inmates.
As an employee at NCCC, Talbot was authorized to have limited contact with inmates to oversee their care but was not permitted to have conversations with inmates, their friends or family, or send inmates money or other items.
In a February 2023 call, Wright and Talbot allegedly discussed how to bring a ceramic blade into the facility and transfer it to inmate Wright.
After several conversations, Talbot allegedly ordered a ceramic blade – a Slice 10532 Corner Stripping Blade – on Amazon and had it delivered to her home in Levittown.
On or about February 24, 2023, Wright claimed that he had chest pains and was taken to the medical unit for treatment. It is alleged that while being treated, Talbot provided Wright with the blade.
The make and model of the blade allegedly ordered by Talbot matched a blade that was recovered from Wright on March 14, 2023.
Talbot also allegedly used her access to inmate records to look up the location of several inmates at NCCC and relayed the building, floor, and cell information to Wright using coded language.
In further alleged misconduct, on February 5, 2023, Wright allegedly spoke with Talbot and asked her to send $60 to his commissary account and instructed her to use a fake name. Later that day, Talbot allegedly purchased a money order under the name “Diamond Wright,” and the money order was mailed to Christopher Wright at NCCC and processed by the jail.
Talbot was suspended by NuHealth on August 23, 2023, and resigned on September 22, 2023.
Talbot currently has a pending case for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child (an E felony). Talbot pleaded guilty to the felony on October 26, 2022, and agreed that she would complete one year of probation, 180 days of alcohol monitoring, and 50 hours of community service. As part of the plea contract, Talbot agreed that any new arrest or violations of law would violate the agreement.
Talbot was arrested on January 3, 2024, in Hempstead by NCDA Detective Investigators.
Wright surrendered to NCDA Detective Investigators on January 4, 2024.
The NCDA thanks the Nassau County Sherriff’s Office Corrections Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their partnership and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
Senior Investigative Counsel Michael Davidman of the Public Corruption Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Bonomi of the County Court Trial Bureau are prosecuting this case. Senior Assistant District Attorney Tara DePalo of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the vehicular case.
Talbot is represented by Anthony M. Grandinette, Esq. on the prison contraband case. She is represented by Steve Epstein, Esq. on the vehicular matter. Wright is represented by James McGlynn, Esq.
The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.