Bulge In NJ Corrections Officer's Clothing Gave Away Bribery Scheme: State AG

HACKENSACK, NJ — A senior corrections officer from Hackensack was indicted Tuesday for smuggling contraband into Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey officials said.

Christopher Santana, 33, accepted bribes from people on behalf of inmates between May 2024 and June 2025, said the office of Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.

Prosecutors say that on June 10, 2025, guards noticed that when Santana arrived for work, a large bulge protruded from his chest.

They searched him and found two vacuum-sealed bags with tobacco and three bottles of an unknown liquid, prosecutors said.

An investigation determined that he'd been paid to bring in items since the previous May.

He was charged with conspiracy, bribery in official and political matters, acceptance or receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior, and official misconduct.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, officials said.