NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 22-year-old attempted murder suspect who was mistakenly released from Rikers Island due to a clerical error is back in custody, officials said Friday.
Nikim Meekins returned to the jail at midnight, accompanied with his lawyer, Lucian Chalfen.
Meekins was arrested March 10 over two incident including a non-fatal shooting in which he charged with attempted murder and was supposed to be held on $300,000 bond or $100,000 bail but was mistakenly released Monday from Rikers Island because of a paperwork error, according to authorities.
A court spokesperson said Meekins had a court appearance Monday for that incident and a gun case, and that he also has a pending felony indictment in Supreme Court for which he had already posted bail.
He was set loose by Rikers Island officials Monday evening after a Bronx Criminal Court clerk mistakenly marked him for release without bail, court officials said.
"Based on the documentation provided by the courts, the release from custody was proper and in accordance with our policy," Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Peter Thorne said in a statement.
A clerk annotated the paperwork as $1 bail on the gun case correctly but mistakenly indicated the release on the attempted murder case the spokesperson added.
"The clerk annotated the paperwork as $1 bail on the gun case correctly but mistakenly indicated ROR on the attempted murder case," a court spokesperson said.
A Bronx judge issued a warrant for him on the attempted murder case Thursday after realizing the mistake.
"We will be addressing the clerical error from a personnel and training perspective," the spokesperson said. "While this was a serious mistake and will be dealt with, New York Criminal Court, over the last year, has conducted tens of thousands of arraignments and felony waver proceedings, with judges, clerks and court officers keeping the system functioning under very trying circumstances."
