Efrin Wade, Contraband Smuggling, New Jersey 2023
New Jersey corrections officer Efrin Wade, 34, and his girlfriend Yairisa Lizardo, 29, were arrested and charged with extortion under color of official right for conspiring to smuggle contraband into the Essex County Correctional Facility.
The duo, both of Jersey City, New Jersey, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and were released on $100,000 each unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in the case, Wade began communicating with an undercover FBI agent in January 2023, agreeing to smuggle tobacco and cell phones into the facility. Wade sent Lizardo to meet with the agent on February 1, 2023, where she accepted $10,000 in cash and a substantial quantity of tobacco.
Over the subsequent weeks, Wade left the tobacco in concealed locations within the facility, believing it would be retrieved by inmates. However, law enforcement recovered the items after Wade relayed the concealed locations to the undercover agent.
Wade met the undercover agent again on February 8, 2023, and took possession of a cell phone concealed within tobacco. He was paid an additional $4,000 on February 15, 2023, for his smuggling activities. Wade planned to smuggle in an additional 15 contraband cell phones, which were to be supplied by the undercover agent.
The extortion charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Wade was found to be in possession of multiple packs of contraband cigarettes, tobacco packs, and cigars during his shift at the facility on March 14, 2023.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Essex County Department of Corrections' Internal Affairs Unit. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →