NEW YORK, United States — Three city corrections officers, who allegedly faked ailments and took sick leave for over a year while raking in their full salaries, are facing up to 10 years in prison.

According to a report from the DailyMail, all three officers were attached to the Rikers Island prison as guards and have been accused of defrauding New York City taxpayers as part of a massive sick leave scheme.

The trio, which includes an engaged couple, were out on leave while allegedly engaging in activities such as “travelling, partying, and even writing a comic book,” DailyMail reports.

Photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Eduardo Trinidad, 42, and his fiancée, Monica Coaxum, 36, leaving federal court in downtown Brooklyn on Thursday evening. They are charged with federal program fraud and cheating an organisation that receives federal funds.

Aspiring comic book writer Steven Cange, 49, was not pictured with the couple.

They were all released on bonds of $50,000. Cange’s bond was posted by his wife.

If convicted, each officer is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison.

According to the DailyMail report, the trio allegedly faked hundreds of doctor’s notes for injuries to various body parts including their shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees and ankles.

United States Attorney Breon Peace said that “in the midst of an ongoing staffing crisis at Rikers Island, the defendants defrauded New Yorkers by fraudulently obtaining their full salaries while taking over a year of sick leave.”

“These correction officers abandoned their oath to protect inmates and put the safety of their fellow correction officers at risk,” he said.

Cange, who has been a correction officer with the DOC since late 2014, has allegedly been on sick leave between March 2021 and May 2022, all the while collecting a full salary of approximately $160,000.

Trinidad is reported to have collected more than US$140,000 in salary while reporting to be suffering from multiple injuries between June 2021 and November 2022. The DailyMail said that during that time, the accused would show up to appointments with city officials while “wearing sine combination of a sling, cane and/or boot.”

Monica Coaxum, his fiance, allegedly collected her $80,000 salary while allegedly faking multiple injuries and illnesses.

Investigators say that the pair took vacations to the Dominican Republic, West Virginia and Florida during their sick leave.

The other accused, Cange, claimed he suffered from a number of ailments including vertigo and negative side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.

He allegedly submitted more than 100 fraudulent medical notes to DOC showing he was at physical therapy or other medical providers.