TRENTON, N.J. — A Newark code enforcement officer has been arrested and charged with allegedly soliciting bribes from a local business in exchange for lifting fines and allowing the store to reopen, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Monday.
Sonia Rogers, 50, of Newark, was arrested on Feb. 28, 2025, following an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) Corruption Bureau. She faces second-degree charges of official misconduct, bribery, theft by extortion, and soliciting or accepting a benefit to influence official duties—offenses that carry potential sentences of five to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.
According to the complaint, Rogers shut down a Broad Street business in September 2024, claiming its municipal business license had expired. She allegedly demanded an $800 bribe to allow the store to reopen and later settled for taking merchandise without payment. Investigators say she returned to the store multiple times through November 2024, attempting to obtain further compensation, including an unsuccessful attempt to take a television.
Attorney General Platkin condemned the alleged actions, saying, “My office will not take it lightly when public employees abuse the power of their positions for personal gain.”
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Diana Bibb under the supervision of the Corruption Bureau and the OPIA leadership team.
