Ex-Correctional Officer Bribed, New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. – A former correctional officer at Fort Dix correctional facility has been indicted for accepting cash bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband to inmates, federal officials announced today.
Paul Anton Wright, 32, of Berlin, New Jersey, was charged with two counts of agreeing to accept and accepting bribes, two counts of violating the Travel Act, and one count of providing contraband to an inmate inside a correctional facility.
According to documents filed in the case, Wright was a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (FCI Fort Dix) in Burlington County. In 2015, Wright agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including tobacco, K2 (synthetic marijuana) and suboxone (a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction), to inmates.
Wright received the cash bribes from two individuals outside of the facility. From February 2015 to September 2015, Wright traveled to Philadelphia to receive cash payments from the relative of an inmate and subsequently delivered contraband, including K2, to the inmate. For example, on April 21, 2015, Wright accepted a cash payment from the relative, deposited a portion of it into his bank account and used some of the cash to gamble at a casino in Atlantic City. In exchange for that payment, Wright subsequently delivered contraband to an inmate.
From October 2015 to December 2015, Wright traveled to Bronx, New York, to receive cash payments from the relative of another inmate’s girlfriend. He met with this relative multiple times and accepted contraband and cash. For example, on Dec. 13, 2015, Wright accepted a cash payment of several thousand dollars from this relative in exchange for delivering contraband to the inmate.
The bribery counts with which Wright is charged carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The maximum fine is the greatest of three times the value of the bribe payments or $250,000. The Travel Act counts and the contraband smuggling count all carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 per count.
Defendant: Paul Anton Wright
Criminal Charges: Two counts of agreeing to accept and accepting bribes, two counts of violating the Travel Act, and one count of providing contraband to an inmate inside a correctional facility.
City and State: Newark, New Jersey
Exact Date: April 2018 (charged by criminal complaint), February 2015 to September 2015 (crime date)
Sentence or Outcome: To be determined
Dollar Amounts: $250,000 (maximum fine)
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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