A former senior correctional police officer at Northern State Prison pleaded guilty Monday to accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle contraband into the Newark facility.
Christopher Santana, 33, of Hackensack, admitted to one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit bribery during a hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin in Newark.
Under a plea agreement with the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, prosecutors will recommend a three-year state prison sentence. Santana forfeited $4,500 in alleged bribe payments and his right to public employment and will be permanently barred from holding a government job or public office in New Jersey.
His sentencing is scheduled for October 5.
Santana was terminated from his position in July 2025, about a month after investigators allegedly caught him reporting for a scheduled shift with contraband concealed beneath his clothing.
Authorities said Santana arrived at Northern State on the evening of June 10, 2025, with a large bulge protruding from the chest area of his uniform. A search uncovered two vacuum-sealed bags containing tobacco and three bottles of an unidentified liquid hidden beneath his protective vest and near his upper thigh.
An investigation by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau and the state Department of Corrections’ Special Investigations Division found that Santana had accepted cash and digital payments from associates of Northern State inmates between May 2024 and June 2025, authorities said.
“It is a serious breach of public trust when anyone responsible for upholding the law and maintaining order betrays his duties for personal gain,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “Corrupt actions like these make correctional facilities less safe and secure for inmates and officials alike.”
Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn said smuggling contraband jeopardizes the safety of prison employees and incarcerated people while undermining the work of correctional officers who serve honorably.