Smuggling scandal rocks Mercer County correction facility
Trenton, NJ – A correctional officer entrusted with maintaining order inside a county jail admitted to taking bribes to sneak contraband to inmates, closing a years-long scheme that prosecutors say exploited access to a secure facility.
Tyree L. Hobbs, 42, of Hamilton, pleaded guilty May 1 in Mercer County Superior Court to conspiracy to commit bribery, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
Prosecutors said Hobbs accepted payments from inmates and their associates in exchange for bringing prohibited items into the Mercer County Correctional Center in Hopewell Township. The contraband included illicit narcotics and tobacco.
Investigators found the activity spanned from approximately November 2017 through July 2022. Hobbs had joined the Mercer County Department of Corrections in February 2017.
According to the investigation, Hobbs would receive sealed packages from inmate affiliates outside the facility, then transport and conceal them inside areas accessible to specific inmates.
Authorities said the conduct violated both state regulations and departmental policies, which prohibit correctional staff from introducing contraband, engaging in personal relationships with inmates, or accepting items of value connected to inmates.
Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend probation with a condition that Hobbs serve 364 days in county jail. He will also be required to forfeit his public employment and will be permanently barred from holding any government position in New Jersey.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 17.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau.
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Key Points
- Mercer County correctional officer pleaded guilty in bribery scheme
- Admitted to smuggling drugs and contraband to inmates for payments
- Faces probation with 364 days in jail and lifetime ban from public employment