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New York's Rikers Island has blamed four prison staffers for the mistaken release of a convict, and they have been suspended without pay, according to reports.
Christopher Buggs, 26, from Brooklyn, was mistakenly released from the Otis Bantum Correctional Center due to a clerical error earlier this week and is reportedly still on the loose.
One of the suspended staffers was reportedly an assistant deputy warden, who indicated to the New York Daily News thought that he was being lined up to take the blame for the incident.
A reporter spoke with Assistant Deputy Warden Kevin Roulston outside his home, asking if he believed the agency was trying to blame him for the release.
"Yeah, they are trying to," Roulston said. "But you know I can’t talk to you. You know I can’t say anything to you, I’m an employee."
Roulston was on-duty at the time of the incident, The New York Post reported.
Other staff members reportedly suspended over the incident were Capt. Abraham Palermo and corrections officers Tanya McCoy and Tamia St. Hilaire.
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Each staff member was suspended for between seven to 15 days for the incident, but Joe Russo -- president of the union representing the wardens -- says court staff is to blame for the mix-up.
Buggs was in prison on a charge of fatally shooting a 55-year-old in Brooklyn, for which he was yet to stand trial.
A second charge of criminal contempt was filed against him after he mouthed off to a judge, with a sentence of 30 days that was mistakenly filed as his full release.
"We are aware of this incident and a full investigation into how this happened is underway," New York City Correction Department spokesman Peter Thorne said Wednesday in a statement provided to Fox News. "Right now we are working with our law enforcement partners to return this individual to custody."
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The NYPD and the Department of Corrections (DOC) did not return Fox News' requests for comment on the search and the suspensions.
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