Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Rikers Island inmate has
been convicted of Attempted Forcible Touching of a female correction officer.
District Attorney Clark said, “The sexual degradation of a correction officer doing her
job is disgusting and unacceptable. We will seek justice for any crimes committed on Rikers
Island, and I hope this conviction reinforces our message that we will hold offenders
accountable.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Chavarr Gilliam, 26, was convicted on June
21, 2017 after a bench trial before Criminal Court Judge Bahaati Pitt of Attempted Forcible
Touching and second-degree Harassment. He faces up to three months in jail when he is
sentenced on July 12, 2017. The defendant is serving 18 years in prison for a robbery
conviction and was being held at Rikers Island on a pending Manhattan case.
According to the investigation, on February 7, 2017, in the George R. Vierno Center,
Gilliam passed a female correction officer and proceeded to touch her buttocks in front of
several other inmates.
District Attorney Clark thanked Department of Correction Investigator Phil Lee, DOC
liaison Scott Frank and former Assistant District Attorney Travis Long.
