A D.C. corrections officer was arrested Monday and charged with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the union that represents officers with the D.C. Department of Corrections, and authorities say he used some of the money for a trip to New York City.
Andra Parker, 64, had access to the D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Committee's bank accounts when he was chairman of the union from June 2018 to May 2019 and stole thousands from the organization during that time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated in charging documents filed in federal court.
Parker, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, spent $7,000 on a trip to New York City for himself and his friends, charging documents say. The trip included $4,000 on rooms and expenses at a Times Square hotel, more than $370 on a New York Knicks game and $616 on "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release.
Parker is the fourth corrections officer to be charged with a crime this year. Three others were charged in separate cases with conspiracy, bribery, smuggling and a federal civil rights violation.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that investigations into corrections officers will likely continue.
.
"Great work on behalf of our investigators," Bowser said. "We were aware of some problems at D.C. Jail and it was evidenced by a lot of contraband getting into the jail, and there have been investigations going on and could be ongoing."
"I’m mad about it, but I also know, and every one of the 37,000 people who work for us knows this, that you will be held accountable," Bowser said.
Parker made his first appearance in federal court Monday afternoon.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The Department of Corrections gave the following statement on Parker's arrest:
"The District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DOC) is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for the residents in our care and employees. Recently, DOC’s Office of Investigative Services, in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), launched an investigation into DOC Correctional Officer Andra Parker. As a result of the investigation, on December 19, 2022, the FBI arrested Mr. Parker for wire fraud related to the alleged misappropriation of DOC union funds."
