Three prison guards were charged Thursday with official misconduct in connection with abuse at a New Jersey women's prison, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced. This investigation took over two years. Police & Fire 2 12/22/2020. A corrections officer at Bayside State Prison in Cumberland County finds himself on the wrong side of the law after being arrested for allegedly assaulting and physically punishing inmates. Trenton:609-989-2190 NJ corrections officer admits lying about brutal and vicious assault on youth. While Gramajo allegedly admitted to one instance when he brought contraband to the prisoner, he said he was never involved in any exchange of cash. Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. More Info. A corrections officer who can be bought, who is willing to break the law and violate prison policy for a fee, poses a potential threat to fellow correctional officers and the individuals incarcerated in the facility they are sworn to serve, Acting Attorney General Platkin said. Ruben Morales, who worked at the state prison in Newark, had also been accused of hiding a food truck business he worked on the side. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE A corrections officer arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor will stay in jail, a judge ordered Tuesday. Amir E. Bethea and Sgt. The incident occurred on April 8, 2020 at the youth facility in Chesterfield, N.J. when the officers removed an inmate from his cell using pepper spray and an unjustified amount of force shortly after midnight, according to officials. A 25-year-old state corrections officer from South Jersey smuggled contraband into the Atlantic County Justice Facility, authorities said. A grand jury returned the indictment against all 14 correction officers who were accused of being part of a January 2021 incident where female inmates were NEW YORK (NEWS 12) A tree removal companys crane nearly toppled over between two homes in New Jersey and ended up suspended in power lines. 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Christopher Smoaks, 31, a senior correctional police officer at Northern State Prison in Newark, allegedly received payment from an inmates relative in return for Web"JAIL" gives viewers a front-row seat as arrested suspects face entry into the criminal justice system. 970 Broad Street, 7th Floor Since 2017, numerous officers at the state's women's prison have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted of sexually assaulting inmates. 0:00. The state recently announced a $20.8 million settlement and a plan to start using body-worn cameras at the women's prison as a result of sexual misconduct and harassment accusations going back at least seven years. District of New Jersey Werner Gramajo, 45, of Newark, a senior correctional officer at the prison, has been charged with official misconduct, bribery, conspiracy and tampering with public records. Police & Fire 10/16/2020. The officers filed false reports to the Department of Justice to justify the use of force claiming the inmate refused to cuff up and attempted to mule kick them, officials said. Officers Angel Chaparro, 38, Damion James, 40, and Luis Ortiz, 29, and Sgt. Lt. Eddie Molina and Sgt. A grand jury returned the indictment against all 14 correction officers who were accused of being part of a January 2021 incident where female inmates were beaten and forcibly removed from their cells. The prisons top administrator, 22 correctional officers and nine supervisors have been suspended, state and union officials said. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. WebOn May 2 1973, Black Panther activist Assata Shakur (fsn) JoAnne Chesimard, was pulled over by the New Jersey State Police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Michae Read More. All rights reserved (About Us). Police & Fire 10/16/2020. She was transported to Hunterdon Medical Center, where doctors discovered her skull was broken around her eye. Dozens of documented cases of abuse, neglect, and misconduct have been reported dating back to 1994. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Cumberland County Jail officer Richard A. Cotto, 45, is accused of failing to perform routine checks on Gregory Kubiak, 32, then noting in a log that he had done the checks. Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. Makos is scheduled appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark 3rd. NEW! She is the final member of that team to face charges, following senior corrections officers Jose Irizarry, Courey James, Gustavo Sarmiento Jr., and Tara Wallace. New Jersey Corrections Officer Allegedly Admits to Fatally Shooting 2 Female Best Friends John Menendez was arrested Feb. 17 on suspicion of murdering All defendants in crime reports are presumed innocent until proven guilty. I would like to state that this was the only time that I brought stuff to that inmate, Gramajo wrote, according to the prosecution. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Gramajo, a senior corrections officer at Northern State Prison in Newark, smuggled cash and the goods into the prison for Thomas De Vingo, a 64-year-old inmate serving a sentence on a robbery conviction, authorities said. The officer sent sexual photos to what he thought was a 14 year old girl& then tried to blame his son when arrested. 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NEWARK, N.J. A corrections officer at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey, was arrested today for allegedly assaulting and physically punishing A 25-year-old state corrections officer from South Jersey smuggled contraband into the Atlantic County Justice Facility, authorities said. A badge is not a license to abuse the power it conveys or to deny the civil rights of the people in ones custody. A corrections officer at a New Jersey prison accepted as much as $500 a month in bribes from an inmate to smuggle items such jewelry, cologne, cold cuts and espresso into the prison, authorities said. Suspects Sought In Central Jersey Home-Invasion Robbery According to DOC policy, extraction should be resorted to only after inmates refuse orders to put on handcuffs and leave their cells on their own, or if they pose a threat to themselves or others and refuse to exit a cell. Thanks for contacting us. TRENTON, N.J. Another four correction officers have been charged with assault and misconduct by New Jerseys attorney general for their actions in a They are also accused of facilitating, failing to intervene in, and failing to report the assaults, as is their duty as law enforcement officers. William Sullivan, the president of the labor union representing the correctional officers, told the Associated Press that the officers acted professionally and did exactly what was required of them per policy.. Cumberland County Jail officer Richard A. Cotto, 45, is accused of failing to perform routine checks on Gregory Kubiak, 32, then noting in a log that he had done the checks. The written request included $40 in cash. 4 de mar. Grand jurors returned an indictment against all 14 of the accused corrections officers on charges of conspiracy, official misconduct, tampering with public records, and aggravated assault. Molina later sent an email to other corrections officers and lied about the encounter, prosecutors said. John Makos, 41, of Millville, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with participating in a conspiracy to deprive inmates of civil rights. NEW! 78% compared to 2015 and is lower than national average of 33. we post and write thousands of news stories a year, most wanted stories,.The court of the magistrate: 1 N Broad St, Woodbury, NJ 08096 Nearly 5500 criminal incidents occur in Gloucester County, NJ every year of which around 400 are violent acts.Through the ten The Burlington County facility is a minimum-security prison housing nearly 1,000 inmates, where they participate in vocational training or academic education, according to the Department of Corrections. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Lost baby seal rescued after trying to cross busy New Jersey highway, 7 sheep escape NJ slaughterhouse, get new chance at life at sanctuary, NJ man tried to board plane with handguns, AR-15, Taser, phony US Marshal badge, New York braces for first significant snow of season heres what to expect in your area. by Cecilia Levine. A corrections officer at a New Jersey prison accepted as much as $500 a month in bribes from an inmate to smuggle items such jewelry, cologne, cold cuts and Published: Feb. 24, 2023, 2:52 p.m. William T. Durham Sr., a correctional officer at South Woods State Prison, was stabbed to death in a fight with a neighbor. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ A corrections officer at the Cape May County Correctional Facility was charged for sexually assaulting a juvenile female, Another inmate, working with Makos and at least one other corrections officer, moved the swinging door so that the victim inmates body expanded and collapsed while Makos and at least one other corrections officer delivered closed fist strikes to the victims body. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and the Special Investigations Division of the NJDOC. De Vingo is now also facing charges of bribery, official misconduct and conspiracy in this alleged scheme. Herman Pride, 51, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to violate Luis A. Mercado of Galloway Township was charged . FAX: 609-989-2275. Tasheena Majors, a 42-year-old correctional police officer at Northern State Prison, is facing a second-degree charge of sexual assault. by Jerry DeMarco. Officials say Wednesday's incident remains under investigation. To search for an inmate in the Lubbock County Detention Center, find out their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits or even view their mugshot, go to the official Inmate Search Jail Roster, or call the jail at 806-775-7048 for the information you are looking for. He was given an inhaler and oxygen in the infirmary and treated for lacerations on his face. Two officers, one from East Brunswick and one from North Plainfield, have been charged with failing to report and prevent guards' assaults on inmates during They are also accused of facilitating, failing to intervene in, and failing to report the assaults, as is their duty as law enforcement officers. FAX: 856-968-4917 HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ A former New Jersey Department of Corrections Officer charged in February 2018 pleaded guilty this week to criminal One inmate was punched almost 30 times by one officer while being extracted by a five-person team, despite no apparent provocation or physical resistance from her, the investigation found. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. TRENTON A state grand jury today voted to indict 14 corrections officers who were charged after a January 2021 incident at the Hunterdon County-based Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, in which inmates were forcibly removed from cells and some were beaten, leaving two of the victims severely injured. Gramajo later denied accepting cash, saying he only brought food to De Vingo on one occasion, authorities said. The battles come as four people two correctional officers and two detainees tested positive for COVID-19 at New Jersey detention facilities. 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