A senior officer from the New Jersey Department of Corrections has been indicted on charges that he smuggled contraband into Northern State Prison in exchange for compensation.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport alleges that Christopher Santana, a 33-year-old Hackensack man, took bribes from individuals made on behalf of inmates.
According to Davenport’s office, officers noticed what authorities described as suspicious bulges beneath his uniform when Santana reported for the start of his shift on the evening of June 10, 2025. A search allegedly uncovered two vacuum-sealed packages of tobacco and three bottles containing an unidentified liquid hidden beneath his protective vest and near his upper thigh. Prosecutors contend the discovery led investigators to uncover a broader pay-for-contraband operation in which Santana allegedly accepted money from individuals connected to inmates beginning in May 2024…