Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a suspended senior correction officer has been indicted on charges that he conspired to smuggle marijuana, tobacco and oxycodone to inmates inside the Southern State Correctional Facility in exchange for money.
The Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment on June 26th, charging Steven B. Saunders, 50, of Camden, with conspiracy, official misconduct, bribery in official matters, and acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior, all second-degree charges, as well as third-degree possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and fourth-degree distribution of marijuana. Saunders has been suspended from his position as a senior correction officer since his arrest last November.
It is alleged that from March 2016 through November 2017, Saunders conspired with an inmate, Lakovian Shepherd, and the inmate’s girlfriend, Tasha N. Swain, to smuggle contraband, including drugs and tobacco, to inmates in the Southern State Correctional Facility in Maurice River, N.J. In return, he allegedly received bribes in the form of monetary payments made by friends or relatives of the inmates outside the prison.
Officials say inmates arranged through their associates on the outside for funds to be transferred to Swain using Western Union. It is alleged that Swain – under the direction of Saunders and Shepherd – used the funds to pay Saunders and to purchase tobacco, marijuana, and pills, which she delivered to Saunders to be smuggled into the prison. Saunders allegedly charged up to $75 for a pack of loose tobacco and up to $1,000 for an ounce of marijuana.
Police arrested Saunders on Nov. 20, 2017, after he met Swain in a parking lot in Evesham, N.J., where she allegedly gave him about 40 grams of marijuana and 17 oxycodone pills to smuggle into prison, along with $1,000 cash. The State Police stopped Saunders’ vehicle and arrested him with the drugs and over $2,000 in cash.
According to authorities, Swain, 39, of Toms River, N.J., pleaded guilty on May 9 to third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. She is awaiting sentencing. Shepherd, 43, who currently is serving a 10-year prison sentence for distribution of narcotics, faces pending charges including second-degree conspiracy, second-degree bribery, and third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance.
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The second-degree charges carry a mandatory minimum period of parole ineligibility of five years.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Burlington County, where Saunders will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment on the charges.
Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has a toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities confidentially. The public can also log on to the Division webpage at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.