Authorities took a Hudson County Corrections Officer into custody and charged him with smuggling contraband into a Hudson County jail.
According to a statement released by authorities, on Friday, June 15, 2018, shortly after 1:45 p.m., Mr. Alex Almeida, 40, of Kearny, was arrested by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Public Integrity — Internal Affairs Unit, for his involvement in the smuggling and distribution of contraband into the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Officials say authorities arrested Almeida at his job without incident during an undercover operation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force and charged him with Official Misconduct and Conspiracy to Commit Official Misconduct.
Police say he was processed then released the same day.
Almeida is scheduled to make his first appearance on these charges in Central Judicial Processing Court in the Hudson County Administration Building at 11 a.m. on June 26, 2018.
Prosecutor Suarez credited the Narcotics Task Force and the Internal Affairs Unit with the arrest.
Hudson County Department of Corrections Director Ronald Edwards said, “The leadership of the Hudson County Corrections Department remains dedicated to the highest professional and ethical standards of the law enforcement profession. We have a zero tolerance for any behavior that compromises public and/or officer safety, and we will proactively investigate and prosecute any violation of these standards. We will never compromise these core values.”
The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).