Former federal correctional officer at Fort Dix in New Jersey is sentenced for accepting bribes
A former federal correctional officer has been sentenced to just over 2-years (26-months) in prison for accepting about $50,000 in cash bribes in exchange for bringing contraband to federal inmates at Fort Dix in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on Thursday.
Paul Anton Wright, 36, of Cinnaminson, previously pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a five-count indictment, which charged him with accepting cash bribes to take official action and commit acts in violation of his duties as a public official, specifically as an employee of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to Sellinger.
His acceptance of bribes in exchange for bringing in items such as tobacco, K2 (synthetic marijuana), and suboxone, occurred in 2015.
From 2014 to April of 2018, he was employed as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix in Burlington County.
Wright was paid by two people outside of FCI Fort Dix, and from February to September of 2015, he traveled to Philadelphia several times to meet with a relative of an FCI Fort Dix inmate.
On his return trip, he brought and then delivered the contraband, including K2, to the inmate.
Between October and December of 2015, Wright went to New York City several times on a similar mission trip, where he met with a different inmate's associate, got paid, and then brought in the contraband to the prison.
In addition to the 2-plus years in prison, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
He also previously consented to a $50,000 money judgment against, forfeiting monies he accepted as bribes.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense Counsel: Mark A. Fury Esq., Mt. Holly, New Jersey.
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