Crime & Safety
Belleville Man, Ex-Essex County Corrections Officer Sentenced For Accepting Bribes
A Belleville man and former corrections officer accepted bribes for smuggling cell phones and cigarettes to an inmate, authorities say.
A federal judge sentenced a former Essex County corrections officer was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Wednesday for accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including cell phones and tobacco, into the Essex County Correctional Facility, authorities stated.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (NJ), John Grosso, 42, of Belleville, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right.
According to court documents and statements, Grosso, a former corrections officer at the Essex County Correctional Facility, admitted that in December of 2013, he agreed to accept cash bribes in return for his assistance smuggling cell phones and cigarettes to an inmate.
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Grosso met with the inmate’s relative in Secaucus to accept the contraband and bribe before delivering the items to the inmate, authorities stated.
In addition to the prison term, Grosso was sentenced to one year of supervised release.
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