Former Northern State Prison officer forfeits $4,500 and faces recommended three-year sentence
NEWARK, NJ – A former senior correctional police officer caught arriving for work with vacuum-sealed tobacco and bottles hidden beneath his protective vest and near his thigh admitted Tuesday that he took bribes to smuggle contraband into Northern State Prison, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Christopher Santana, 33, of Hackensack, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree conspiracy to commit bribery before Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin in Essex County.
Santana worked at Northern State Prison in Newark before being terminated in July 2025.
Bulge under clothing leads to discovery
The case came to a head on June 10, 2025, when Santana arrived for a scheduled shift at the prison.
Law enforcement personnel noticed a large bulge protruding from the chest area of his clothing, according to publicly filed documents cited by the Attorney General’s Office.
A subsequent search uncovered two vacuum-sealed bags containing tobacco and three bottles of an unidentified liquid.
The items had allegedly been concealed underneath Santana’s protective vest and near his upper thigh.
Bribe scheme stretched more than a year
The investigation determined that Santana received thousands of dollars between approximately May 2024 and June 2025 from associates of people incarcerated at Northern State Prison.
In exchange for the payments, Santana smuggled contraband into the facility, according to state officials.
Prosecutors said payments were made both in cash and through Santana’s personal mobile digital payment app.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division.
Guilty plea comes with permanent ban
Under Santana’s plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a three-year New Jersey state prison sentence.
Santana also forfeited $4,500 in alleged bribe payments.
His guilty plea requires him to forfeit public employment and permanently bars him from holding public office or public employment in New Jersey.
Santana is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5.
Key Points
- Former Northern State Prison senior correctional police officer Christopher Santana pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree conspiracy to commit bribery.
- Authorities said Santana accepted thousands of dollars to smuggle contraband into the Newark prison and was caught with tobacco and bottles concealed under his clothing.
- Prosecutors will recommend three years in state prison, while Santana forfeited $4,500 and is permanently barred from New Jersey public employment.
