By Y.M. Lowy

A former correction officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Sunset Park has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for a 2023 shooting that began outside the federal prison and left a passenger seriously wounded.

Leon Wilson was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison after being convicted of violating an individual’s civil rights and using a firearm during a violent crime.

According to prosecutors, Wilson was on duty at the MDC when he chased a civilian vehicle away from the facility. He drove at high speeds through city streets, ran red lights, and pursued the vehicle toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

During the chase, Wilson fired several rounds at the vehicle, striking a backseat passenger in the chest and lungs. Federal prosecutors said the shooting was never reported to the NYPD, the MDC, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Wilson was convicted in October 2025 and has now been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison.