Tyece Drake, a former New York State Parole Board commissioner, stated she was fired after objecting to the release of Matthew Svanberg, a convicted murderer who allegedly made racist threats against her. Drake claims Svanberg vowed to torture and murder her after she voted to keep him incarcerated in 2023.
Svanberg, 53, was serving 25 years for the 1993 fatal shooting of 26-year-old gas station attendant Dennis Folk during a robbery on Long Island. At the time of the murder, Svanberg was 20 years old and fled to Las Vegas, evading capture for five years before being apprehended.
According to a letter from a fellow inmate, Svanberg became enraged when Drake denied him parole in 2023. The letter alleges Svanberg launched into a racist tirade, calling Drake a "Black B extaster" and a "F extaster N extaster B extaster," and stating he would "torture her then kill her" when he was released.
Drake, a mental health professional appointed to the parole board in 2017, said she denied Svanberg parole because he did not appear to take responsibility for his victim's death and bragged about the killing while he was a fugitive. She was one of three board members who interviewed Svanberg and wrote the initial decision to deny him parole.
However, Svanberg appealed this decision in Dutchess County Court and won a new hearing. A judge ruled that parole could not be denied solely based on the seriousness of his crime. At his second parole hearing, Svanberg was interviewed by a panel including Tana Agostini, who led the interview and wrote the decision to release him, citing the judge's court order. Agostini, described as a pro-inmate commissioner, was later replaced on the board.
Svanberg was released in May 2024. Drake stated she has been afraid for her life since 2023 and that her complaints about the threats led to her termination. She was informed she was being replaced in June 2025.
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), which oversees the parole board, stated that an investigation into the threats against Drake found them to be unsubstantiated. The agency also stated that Drake was replaced because her appointment term had ended. Drake countered that her term had actually ended six years prior to her replacement.
An investigator's email exchange provided to The Post indicated that the inmate who wrote the letter denying writing it and Svanberg himself denied making the threats when questioned. The investigator noted that "unsubstantiated does not mean it didn’t happen."
Drake considers herself a whistleblower and advocates for changes within the parole board, calling for leadership to be removed and replaced with more competent individuals. She also believes Svanberg's release was illegal and should be reversed.
Following his release, Svanberg reportedly began working for his brother's surf and kayak business in the Hamptons.