Taxstone, real name Daryl Campbell, has been charged with conspiracy to smuggle contraband into MDC-Brooklyn, where he is serving time for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Troy Ave's bodyguard in 2006.
Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of New York announced that Taxstone and four other inmates—Ian Diez, Jonathan Guerrero, Abel Mora, and Mayovanex Rodriguez—have been accused of attempting to smuggle drugs and other items behind bars. "As alleged, between April and June 2024, Campbell used a contraband cell phone to conspire with others to smuggle contraband into MDC-Brooklyn," reads the U.S. Attorney's Office statement. "In several voice recordings found on the phone, Campbell explained his method of throwing a 'line' out of a window of MDC-Brooklyn for a co-conspirator on the outside to 'hook” or attach contraband, which could then be pulled back inside."
The four other inmates allegedly attempted to follow through with Taxstone's scheme by pulling a rope through the recreation room in the area where they were being housed. At the end of the rope, officers discovered a box containing suboxone, marijuana, a scalpel, a phone charger, multiple lighters, and cigarettes. If found guilty, all five are facing a sentence of ten years in prison.
“These actions undermine the order and security of MDC-Brooklyn and endanger everyone within its walls,” John J. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement on Thursday, adding that his office is “working tirelessly” on these issues. "These charges serve as a warning to those who would engage in criminal conduct behind bars, and anyone else who facilitates those crimes: your conduct will be uncovered, and you will be held accountable," Durham added.
Taxstone and the four other inmates were charged as part of a wave of 12 separate cases that included a total of 25 inmates, their associates, and a former correctional officer. The former podcaster and online personality was already serving time behind bars for the fatal shooting of Troy Ave's bodyguard at Irving Plaza during a T.I. concert in 2016. He was sentenced to 35 years over the shooting in 2023.