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By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive, video

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Feb 22 – When Colin Akparanta was brought in shackles, accused of sexually abusing female prisoners under his control in the Metropolitan Correctional Center prison, into the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York's Magistrates Court on May 21, his wife had been waiting for him for hours. Inner City Press was there and has followed the case since, since this exclusive report.

After a reading of the charges, Akparanta was offered $200,000 bail but only when others sign on to it. The U.S. Attorney's Office said it would go to the house he owns in Irvington, New Jersey to pick up his two guns, and then store them in a vault. His lawyer said Yes, he would be engaging in discussions about a pre-trial disposition, meaning a plea.

   Times change. Now on February 21 the US Attorney's Office has written to SDNY District Judge Lorna G. Schofield: "Dear Judge Schofield: The Government respectfully submits this letter in advance of the defendant’s anticipated guilty plea... While the Government has already made productions of material to the defendant pursuant to Brady and its progeny and Rule 161 and is in full compliance with its disclosure obligations at this stage in the litigation, for the reasons set forth below, including the exceptional circumstances of this case, the Government respectfully submits that further production of Giglio material in advance of the defendant’s plea would be inappropriate and inconsistent with governing law and the terms of the defendant’s plea agreement.

"Defendant Colin Akparanta, a former correction officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”) here in Manhattan, was charged in May 2019 in the above Indictment with multiple counts of sexual abuse of a ward, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2243(b); abusive sexual contact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(a)(4); and deprivation of civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, arising from his sexual abuse of female inmates while he served as a correction officer. The Indictment includes specific allegations regarding four victims, and the Government has since learned of at least three additional women who were victimized by the defendant while at the MCC."

  So for how many months is the plea agreement for, with at least seven inmate victims? That is not in the letter. Inner City Press will stay on the case.

On October 31 Akparanta appeared again before Judge Schofield, not in detention, which seemed to surprise the Judge's courtroom deputy, understandably given the charges. The government which had gone out into the hall with Akparanta's lawyer while another depressing proceeding took place in the courtroom said that plea negotiations are going well, after discovery was produced.

  Judge Schofield denied the motions to suppress. The can was kicked down the road to January 7. Now this. Inner City Press will continue to follow this case.

   Back on May 21 the government argued for a curfew, saying that Akparanta is a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Nigeria to which he retains strong ties. He didn't try to flee when first questioned - but it seems he thought he was under investigation only for bringing contraband into the MCC for female prisoners, not for the sex acts he traded the contraband and control for.

 The unsealed indictment in USA v. Akparanta lists as his nicknames or aliases "Africa" and "Akon." (A commenter on Inner City Press' thread about the arraignment noted that the singer Akon is not, in fact, from Nigeria - but neither is Africa a country.)

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