U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today that a former county corrections officer has been sentenced to 24 months in prison and a year of supervised release in addition to the prison term for accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband.
John Grosso, 42, of Belleville, was arrested in November of 2014, after an unnamed prisoner – who in hopes of obtaining a more favorable outcome in an unrelated pending federal criminal case – cooperated with law enforcements.
According to court documents, Gross would meet with the inmate's relative at a Secaucus Best Buy, where he would receive the contraband and bribe prior to delivery.
Gross later admitted accepting cash bribes of approximately $1,000 in exchange for smuggling items such as cell phones and cigarettes to Essex County Jail inmates.