Bronx prosecutors have dropped charges against a New York City correction officer who was accused of smuggling a razor blade for an inmate on Rikers Island last year.
Travis Simms’ case was dismissed in Bronx Criminal Court on Tuesday.
“It was just a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Simms, 33, told The Post. “All praises to the Lord that the truth came out.”
The Brooklyn resident was charged in October with official misconduct and two counts of promoting prison contraband.
The city’s Department of the Investigations claimed at the time that Assistant Deputy Warden Denise Phillips at the George R. Vierno Center had spotted a handoff between the guard and an inmate.
But Simms’ attorney, Todd Spodek, said surveillance footage showed otherwise.
Simms, a correction officer since 2016, was suspended without pay after the charges were brought.
The dad of three young kids said he felt like the investigation was rushed, and that his name had been dragged through the mud.
“I was condemned for something I did not do,” he said Wednesday.
The last five months have been “very hurtful and painful,” Simms said, adding, “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
Spodek added, “As one of NY’s Boldest, Travis Simms deserves the respect of all New Yorkers, which includes his direct superiors and DOI.
“A comprehensive investigation by Angelika Arias and myself showed absolutely no wrongdoing and he was cleared of all charges.”
The Bronx District Attorney’s Office said it had dismissed the case because prosecutors would not have been able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Department of Correction said Simms is still suspended without pay and subject to an internal investigation.
