Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime Podcast Rikers Guard EXPOSED for Running a Prison Smuggling Ring | Steven Dominguez
Dec 17, 2025
Steven Dominguez, a former correction officer and author, reveals his shocking transformation from a dedicated employee to a criminal caught in a DEA sting. He candidly describes the allure of contraband smuggling inside Rikers Island, detailing methods to introduce goods and the high demand for items like tobacco. Steven shares his arrest experience, legal battles, and subsequent prison time, reflecting on the guilt and lessons learned. His story sheds light on the broader issues of prison corruption and the urgent need for reforms.
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The $1,500 Turning Point
- His first paid run paid $1,500 for driving a drug dealer and immediately changed his outlook on risk and reward.
- That single run rapidly escalated into regular multi-thousand-dollar payments and normalized illegal work for him.
Smuggling Inside Using Routine Access
- After initial exterior runs he began bringing compressed tobacco and small contraband into Rikers by hiding packages and dropping them in garbage for inmates.
- The handoffs exploited his daily access and familiarity, making detection unlikely at first.
Tobacco Became Contraband Currency
- Impermissible items like loose tobacco became high-value currency inside Rikers, fueling a black market.
- Small items (tobacco, phone access) create outsized power and money flow inside jails, worsening violence and control dynamics.