Taxstone Hit with New Charges for Allegedly Running Contraband Smuggling Scheme Behind Bars

Taxstone has found himself in more hot water. The former podcaster, real name Daryl Campbell, is now facing new charges for allegedly orchestrating a contraband smuggling scheme inside MDC-Brooklyn, where he’s already serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the 2016 Irving Plaza shooting that left Troy Ave’s bodyguard dead.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Taxstone and four other inmates—Ian Diez, Jonathan Guerrero, Abel Mora, and Mayovanex Rodriguez—tried to sneak in drugs, a scalpel, a phone charger, lighters, and cigarettes using an old-school rope and pulley method. Prosecutors say between April and June 2024, Taxstone used a contraband cell phone to coordinate with someone on the outside, telling them to “hook” packages onto a line that could be pulled into the prison.

Authorities eventually caught on and intercepted a box of contraband before it made its way inside. Now, all five inmates are facing an extra 10 years in prison if convicted.

“These actions undermine the order and security of MDC-Brooklyn and endanger everyone within its walls,” U.S. Attorney John J. Durham said. “These charges serve as a warning… your conduct will be uncovered, and you will be held accountable.”

This latest legal trouble comes less than a year after Taxstone was sentenced for his involvement in the deadly 2016 shooting at a T.I. concert in NYC, where Ronald McPhatter, Troy Ave’s bodyguard, was killed.

Taxstone’s charges are part of a massive crackdown that has already led to 25 indictments, including other inmates, their associates, and even a former correctional officer.