nj-prison-inmates-maximum-sentence.jpg

New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. (Martin Griff/The Times of Trenton)

(Martin Griff/The Times of Trenton)

TRENTON – Three New Jersey State Prison corrections officers, 14 inmates, and 18 other people have been charged in an alleged scheme to smuggle cell phones and drugs into the Trenton facility, authorities said today.



Senior corrections officers Roosevelt Francis, 49, of Ewing, Shareeka Miller, 34, of Westville, and Tony Evans, 33 of Medford, were charged in separate indictments returned by a Mercer County grand jury in February and March, authorities said.

The three officers were charged with multiple counts of official misconduct and pattern of misconduct, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

In addition to the officers, the investigation revealed 14 inmates at New Jersey State Prison who arranged with another 18 defendants outside of the prison to pay bribes to the officers to smuggle cell telephones and drugs inside the prison.

The charges resulted from “Operation Lockdown,” a two-year joint investigation between the New Jersey Department of Corrections’ Special Investigations Division and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Many of the prisoners are serving lengthy prison sentences for murder, aggravated manslaughter, robbery and other violent crimes, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Several of the inmates are self-admitted members of criminal street gangs. As permitted by the statue, prosecutors said the inmates and civilian defendants have been charged as accomplices to the charges of official misconduct as well as bribery.

One of the inmates accused is Vasil “Billy” Heisler who was sentenced in 2012 to 50 years in prison after he shot Joshua Hahn, an off-duty sheriff’s officer, in the chest in 2007.

Vasil "Billy" Heisler, in Burlington County court on the first day of his trial on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. Heisler is charged with attempted murder in shooting former Mercer County sheriff's officer Joshua Hahn in Trenton. The trial was moved to Burlington County. To purchase this and other photos, visit http://TimesofTrenton.zenfolio.com

Hahn, who retired as a result of his injuries, was shot while trying to intervene in a domestic dispute between Heisler and his sister.

Heisler is charged with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree birbery and third-degree possession of a cellular device inside a prison.

Officials expressed concern of the potential smuggling of cell phones in particular.

“There have been multiple cases where inmates have directed a variety of criminal activity outside of the prison,” said Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr., who emphasized that a majority of corrections officers are hardworking and honest.

The charges were announced nearly two months after a judge maintained bail for Lorenzo Blakeney, 51, of Newark, who allegedly bribed Corrections Officer Eric Dawson and civilian prison employee Keith Harris, 47, who in turn allegedly smuggled the contraband into the New Jersey State Prison.

Prosecutors said those bribes and smuggling came to light as the result of an investigation conducted by New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division in March 2013.

NJDOC spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer said previously she could not comment on the investigation, but did say both Dawson and Harris, who worked in the prison as an institutional trade instructor, have been suspended without pay and have had removal charges placed against them

It was not immediately clear if Francis, Miller and Evans had been similarly suspended.

Those charged include:

Inmates

• Ubay Lumumba

• Jamiyl Dock

• Vasil Heisler

• Shahid Williams

• Carnell Gibbs

• James Washington

• Moises Velez

• Charles Noble

• Anthony Afandador

• Damon Thornton

• Carmelo Pantiounga

• Andre Dennis

• Frank Farina

• Luis Dasilva



Others indicted



• Christopher Blue

• Doris Jackson

• Margaret Potts

• Stephanie Johnson

• Terri Moore

• Brittie Griffith

• Arnette Williams

• Tydeeka Ingram

• Jason Barnum

• Jason Williams

• Ashley Green

• Elvin Torres

• Herbert Thornton

• Marla West-Roots

• Maria Sacco

• Renanto Nunes

• Angelo Nunes

• Angelica Tilley

2 trchristie HINDASH.JPG

CONNECT WITH US: On mobile or desktop:

• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook

• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter