By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Gerald Oquendo, 35, from Mays Landing, was sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison with two years of parole ineligibility for Official Misconduct.
Officials said the sentence was imposed by the Honorable Donna M. Taylor, J.S.C., who also imposed a forfeiture/bar of public employment as part of the sentence.
Oquendo also waived appeal as part of this disposition, officials say.
Authorities say Oquendo, a former corrections officer, pleaded guilty to Official Misconduct on October 10, 2023.
This case involved two family members of an inmate working with Oquendo to smuggle cellular phones into the Atlantic County Justice Facility where the inmate was housed in exchange for money, officials stated.
According to officials, the two family members and an inmate were captured in recorded conversations discussing the crime, with video surveillance capturing Oquendo bringing an object to the inmate.
“The defendant, a public servant entrusted with the care and custody of inmates within the Atlantic County Justice Facility, jeopardized the safety and security of the staff and inmates when he violated his oath of office and smuggled cellular devices, creating the possibility that inmates could engage in criminal activity from inside the walls of an otherwise secure facility,” noted Prosecutor William Reynolds upon hearing of the sentence.