Jail Guard Sent to Prison For Smuggling Mobile Phones in New Jersey County Jail

A former guard at the Atlantic County Justice Facility has been sentenced to prison for smuggling cell phones into the jail.

Last year, Gerald Oquendo of Mays Landing, aged 35, pleaded guilty to an official misconduct charge, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

He received a three-year prison sentence on Tuesday. Authorities have reported that two family members of an inmate collaborated with Oquendo to smuggle cell phones into the Atlantic County Justice Facility, receiving payment in return.

Recorded conversations captured the family members and inmate discussing the crime, while video surveillance revealed Oquendo bringing an object to the inmate.

Oquendo will need to serve a minimum of two years of his prison sentence before being considered for parole. Additionally, he will be barred from holding any future public positions.

The prosecution was a collaborative effort between the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Professional Standards Unit and the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Further support was offered by the FBI’s Atlantic City office.

“The defendant, a public servant entrusted with the care and custody of inmates within the Atlantic County Justice Facility, jeopardized the safety and security of the staff and inmates when he violated his oath of office and smuggled cellular devices, creating the possibility that inmates could engage in criminal activity from inside the walls of an otherwise secure facility,” said Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds in a press statement.

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