TRENTON — Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today announced the sentencing of a former New Jersey Department of Corrections senior correctional police officer for taking bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband into Northern State Prison.

On October 5, 2026, Christopher Santana, 33, of Hackensack, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years in New Jersey state prison by Judge Michael Ravin, presiding in state Superior Court in Essex County. As a part of his sentence, Santana has been permanently barred from holding any public office or public employment in New Jersey. The defendant was terminated from his position in July 2025. The defendant was also ordered by the court to forfeit $4,500 in alleged bribe payments, as was agreed to under a plea agreement with the State. During a hearing on August 18, 2026, the defendant had pleaded guilty before Judge Ravin to one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit bribery.

“Taking bribes to help inmates evade the very security measures he was responsible for enforcing is a fundamental betrayal of the badge — and of the public trust that comes with it,” said Attorney General Davenport. “As demonstrated by the sentence imposed, abuses of trust by law enforcement officers will be met with significant repercussions.”

“This case underscores the profound damage done when those entrusted with maintaining order choose instead to break the law alongside the people they are there to guard,” said Martha Nye, Interim Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. “This is an appropriate sentence for compromising security inside a prison and damaging the credibility of law enforcement generally.”

“When an officer chooses to accept bribes and smuggle contraband, they do not just break the law – they actively endanger the safety and security of their colleagues and the incarcerated population,” said NJDOC Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn. “This sentence sends a definitive message: we have zero tolerance for actions that tarnish the badge and diminish the good work for the thousands of dedicated professionals who serve with honor. This Department will continue to root out and remove anyone who violates the public trust.”

As alleged in publicly filed documents in this case:

The defendant arrived on the evening of June 10, 2025, for his scheduled shift at Northern State Prison, and law enforcement observed a large bulge protruding from the chest area of his clothing. A search of the defendant revealed he had two vacuum-sealed bags containing tobacco and three bottles of an unknown liquid concealed under his protective vest and near his upper thigh area.

The ensuing investigation revealed that between approximately May 2024 and June 2025, while employed as a senior correctional police officer at Northern State Prison, the defendant received thousands of dollars in bribes from associates of inmates incarcerated at the facility, in exchange for smuggling contraband into the facility. In addition to cash, the defendant also received payments via a personal mobile digital payment app in exchange for bringing contraband into the facility.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Samantha Eaton for the Corruption Unit of DCJ.

Defense Attorney:

Anthony Pope, Esq., Newark, New Jersey