Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced that a state probation officer working in Middlesex County was indicted today on charges of taking bribes from a defendant who was serving a probationary term for drug offenses.
Rhonda Battle, 46, of Roselle was charged with two counts of official misconduct, one count of engaging in a pattern of official misconduct and three counts of bribery, all second-degree offenses, for taking more than $200 on various occasions between January 1, 2014 and December 23, 2014.
The indictment was handed up following presentation to a grand jury in Union County by Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christine D’Elia. The case was assigned to Union County to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Battle initially was charged on December 23, 2014 during an investigation by Detective Nicholas Chiorello of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation determined that Battle accepted cash amounts to ensure thedefendant passed drug testing and would not be found in violation of the conditions of a court-ordered probationary term.
Battle had been employed as a probation officer and was assigned to work with defendants who had been admitted to the state Superior Court’s Drug Court program at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.
As an alternative to incarceration, the program offers counseling, rehabilitation and probationary terms to first-time offenders.
The investigation is active and is continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Chiorello of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3848.