Former parole commissioner dismissed after warning of racist death threats from released killer

Former New York parole board member Tyece Drake was fired after she warned officials that released murderer Matthew Svanberg had threatened to torture and kill her.

Tyece Drake, who served on the New York State Parole Board since 2017, was terminated after repeatedly warning that Matthew Svanberg, a 53-year-old convicted murderer, threatened to torture and kill her after his parole denial. Svanberg spent 25 years in prison for the 1993 shooting death of 26-year-old Dennis Folk and was released in May 2024 following a second hearing led by board member Tana Agostini, who later left the board.

Drake’s letters to agency leaders and politicians about the alleged threats were dismissed, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision stated the threats were unsubstantiated, though investigators noted that this does not prove they did not occur. The agency said Drake’s appointment term had ended, a claim she disputes, saying she was fired for speaking out. She now calls herself a whistleblower, urging removal of current board leadership and the re-incarceration of Svanberg.