Coronavirus Suspected In Death Of Ex-Bloomfield Councilman

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A former Bloomfield councilman died from coronavirus complications while awaiting release from a New Jersey halfway house, reports say.

In 2018, Elias Chalet was sentenced to five years in state prison for soliciting and accepting a bribe of $15,000 from a local business owner. He previously served as the councilman for township's First Ward.

• See related article: Ex-Bloomfield Councilman Took Bribe, Gets 5 Years In Jail

Chalet eventually served time at the James A. Hemm House, a halfway house in Newark. He became ill there on April 5, then was moved across the city to Northern State Prison, and eventually to St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, where he died on April 20, NorthJersey.com reported.

“His family is grieving,” Chalet’s former lawyer said. “This shouldn't have happened.”

Chalet’s family said they believe he got the virus in a state halfway house. He died less than three months before his scheduled release, NJ.com reported.

Chalet is one of a growing number of inmates in New Jersey who have died of the coronavirus while in state or county custody. As of Wednesday, there were 515 inmates with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in state-run prisons. Of those, 41 deaths have been linked to the disease, a 7.9 percent fatality rate, according to a state database.

According to the ACLU of New Jersey, it's the highest death rate of any state prison system in the nation, with numbers "exceeding most other states' prison deaths combined." It's not just inmates who risk catching the virus; 599 people employed with the New Jersey Department of Corrections have been infected, too.

Chalet’s name will be among a list of dozens to be honored during a “#SayTheirNames Funeral Procession” in Trenton later this month.

• See related article: Coronavirus Inmate Deaths Rise In NJ: 'They Stole My Baby's Life'
• See related article: Coronavirus Is Terrifying NJ Halfway Houses, Family Members Say
• See related article: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic; Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons

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