A former Atlantic County corrections officer was sentenced to three years in prison for smuggling cell phones into the jail.
Gerald Oquendo, 35, pleaded guilty to official misconduct in October.
Two family members of an inmate paid Oquendo to help get cellphones to the unnamed inmate.
Recordings captured the inmate and relatives discussing the crime, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. There is also video surveillance of Oquendo bringing an object to the inmate.
Oquendo was taken into custody Tuesday, after his sentencing. He is now in the jail where he once worked awaiting transfer to state prison.
He must serve at least two years before he is eligible for parole Oquendo waived his right to appeal as part of the plea agreement.
“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,” Prosecutor William Reynolds said of the sentence.
The FBI assisted in the case, which was conducted by Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Professional Standards Unit and the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
