Second Rikers Island Officer Pleads Guilty to False Workers’ Compensation Claims

NEW YORK — Jovanny Concepcion, a correction officer at Rikers Island, pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Southern District of New York to making false statements relating to healthcare matters to secure workers’ compensation benefits following use-of-force incidents at the jail.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced the plea before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. The charges center on Concepcion’s submissions to the New York State workers’ compensation system in which he allegedly misrepresented the circumstances and extent of injuries sustained during two separate use-of-force events on Rikers Island.

The case is the second guilty plea secured by federal prosecutors this year against a Rikers correction officer for the same offense. The first officer entered a guilty plea earlier in 2026. Both cases form part of an ongoing federal enforcement effort examining false claims filed by Rikers personnel for on-duty injuries.

Concepcion now faces a sentencing schedule set by Judge Liman. Under federal sentencing guidelines for false statements in healthcare matters, the conviction carries potential imprisonment, restitution, and forfeiture penalties. The plea agreement requires Concepcion to forfeit any improperly obtained benefits and cooperate with investigators examining similar claims at the facility.

The developments place immediate pressure on the New York City Department of Correction to review internal reporting procedures for use-of-force incidents and workers’ compensation filings. City officials must now decide whether to pursue administrative discipline or termination against Concepcion and any other officers implicated in the broader probe.

Federal prosecutors have signaled they will continue investigating additional Rikers staff members who may have submitted false documentation.

This is the second Rikers Island correction officer to plead guilty in 2026 to making false statements to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York brought both cases as part of a targeted initiative into misconduct at the city’s largest jail complex.