It is hard to believe Taxstone was once a podcaster. Now, he’s at the center of prison drama and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn seek more time behind bars.
They are accusing the well-known, one-time podcaster of directing a contraband smuggling attempt from inside MDC Brooklyn to bring drugs weapons and phones into the lockup.
Video obtained by the New York Daily News and submitted in federal court shows, inmates inside the Metropolitan Detention Center attempting to scale a gym wall for nearly 20 minutes as they tried to pull a rope filled with contraband through a window. The failed attempt is now part of a federal case that could add 33 months to the 35 year sentence Taxstone is already serving for the fatal shooting of Troy Ave’s bodyguard.
Prosecutors say Taxstone, whose real name is Daryl Campbell, orchestrated the June 30, 2024 operation using a contraband cellphone while incarcerated. According to court filings, he allegedly sent voice messages giving step by step instructions about where a vehicle should park how long the rope needed to be and how the contraband should be packaged.
“We gonna throw the line out from that gate, so you just run right in the gate and you hook it to the line ’cause there’s a hook on the end of the line we got right now. You just going to hook it and just dip back out. Sturdy,” he said in an April 19 2024 recording cited by prosecutors.
“Yeah, so I’ma tell y’all when to drive up. We gonna have the line out already, and I’ma just tell you drive right up, so you can get right out the car and do it,” he said in another message.
Authorities say the plan involved a 50-foot rope tossed from the street to a fourth floor recreation room window in what is commonly called a fishing operation inside correctional facilities.
Court records state the attempt began around 1:45 p.m. when an alleged accomplice identified as Carl Kelly arrived outside the Sunset Park facility and threw the rope toward the window.
Inside the recreation area three inmates identified as Jonathan Guerrero Ian Diez and Abel Mora allegedly tried to execute the plan. Surveillance footage described in court documents shows the men stacking chairs on top of a food cart to create a makeshift ladder while another detainee acted as lookout while casually dribbling a basketball to avoid suspicion.
Guerrero eventually climbed toward the window and struggled for several minutes to grab the line. The effort ended when he lost his footing and crashed to the floor knocking over the stacked furniture and ending the attempt.
All participants connected to the scheme both inside and outside the facility have pleaded guilty according to prosecutors.
The episode adds to longstanding concerns about conditions and security lapses at MDC Brooklyn a federal jail that has faced repeated criticism over safety issues contraband and staffing shortages.
For Taxstone, the failed plot could mean even more years added to a sentence that already ensures he will spend decades behind bars.