N.J. corrections officer allegedly bribed by cash, cold cuts

Could it be the most New Jersey crime of all time?

According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday, “a corrections officer at Northern State Prison in Newark has been charged after allegedly accepting monthly bribe payments from an inmate, in exchange for illegally smuggling contraband into the facility for that prisoner, including cash, jewelry, cologne, cold cuts and espresso.”

Yup. Cold cuts:

“Werner Gramajo, 45, of Newark, a senior correctional officer at the prison, has been charged with official misconduct, bribery, conspiracy and tampering with public records.

Investigators said the officer was supplying contraband on request to inmate Thomas De Vingo, 64, who was incarcerated on a robbery conviction. De Vingo is now also facing charges of bribery, official misconduct and conspiracy in this alleged scheme. Information in this case was initially obtained by the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) Special Investigations Division, and referred to the Attorney General’s Office.

[…]

Detectives say De Vingo approached the corrections officer back in early 2020 about the arrangement, after hearing the officer was experiencing financial trouble. According to investigators, Officer Gramajo subsequently, over the course of roughly a year, received monetary payments that De Vingo had arranged in the amount of up to $500 per month. Prosecutors believe several deliveries were made to the inmate each month.”

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Matt Rooney
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MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.