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For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
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August 9, 2011

Office of The Attorney General
- Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice
- Stephen J. Taylor, Director

Media Inquiries-
Peter Aseltine
609-292-4791
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925

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Inmate Sentenced to Additional 7 Years for Organizing Scheme to Smuggle Cell Phones & Narcotics Into Northern State Prison
Inmate’s brother pleads guilty to receiving cash outside prison to fund smuggling scheme

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TRENTON - Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that a state prison inmate was sentenced to an additional seven years in prison yesterday for organizing a smuggling scheme that used a correction officer to bring pre-paid cell phones and narcotics into Northern State Prison in Newark.

The inmate’s brother was also in court yesterday in Middlesex County, pleading guilty to assisting in the scheme by receiving funds wired by inmates, which he gave to the correction officer for the contraband items. The charges stem from Operation Empire, a joint investigation by the New Jersey State Police, Department of Corrections and Division of Criminal Justice.

According to Director Taylor, Angel Vasquez, 54, a former inmate at Northern State Prison in Newark who now is in South Woods State Prison, was sentenced yesterday by Superior Court Judge Mathias E. Rodriguez to seven years in state prison, which he must serve consecutively to his current sentence. Vasquez is serving a manslaughter sentence of 50 years, including 20 years of parole ineligibility, which began in 1994.

Vasquez pleaded guilty on June 10 to a charge of second-degree racketeering, admitting that he organized a scheme in Northern State Prison in which he enlisted a former senior correction officer, Luis S. Roman, to smuggle heroin and wireless telephones into the prison for Vasquez to sell to other inmates.

Vasquez’ brother, Justiniano Vasquez, 61, of the Bronx, N.Y., pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge Rodriquez to a charge of second-degree racketeering. He admitted that, at the direction of his brother Angel, he cashed checks that were wired to him by inmates. He admitted that he provided the cash from the checks to Roman for the purchase of cell phones and narcotics that Roman smuggled into Northern State Prison. The state will recommend that Justiniano Vasquez be sentenced to five to seven years in state prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 26.

Deputy Attorney General Cassandra Serentino handled the sentencing and took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.

On April 18, Roman, 47, of Avenel, pleaded guilty to racketeering and official misconduct before Judge Rodriguez. The state will recommend that Roman be sentenced to 14 years in state prison, including five years of parole ineligibility. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 3.

On Sept. 15, 2010, the Division of Criminal Justice obtained a state grand jury indictment charging the Vasquez brothers, Roman and 16 other defendants. Separate indictments obtained that month charged 16 inmates who bought contraband.

In pleading guilty, Roman admitted that he worked with a network of inmates who solicited customers and distributed contraband that he smuggled into the prison. Roman smuggled contraband into the prison several times a week, including pre-paid cell phones, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, hiding the items in his protective vest and boots. The inmates had family members or friends outside the prison who allegedly acted as accomplices by buying phones and drugs and packaging them for delivery to Roman. The investigation revealed that inmates paid for the items by having money wired to Roman’s wife or another accomplice on the outside.

The Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division began looking into the possibility of a correction officer or other prison worker smuggling contraband into Northern State Prison after numerous wireless phones of the same makes and models were confiscated from inmates.

The joint investigation by the State Police and the Department of Corrections began in July 2009. Roman’s smuggling continued from at least August 2007 to Nov. 14, 2009, when he was arrested with his wife. Ann Marie Roman, 37, of Keasbey, who now is divorced from Luis Roman, pleaded guilty on Sept. 14, 2010 before Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa to second-degree conspiracy to commit bribery. She admitted that, at her husband’s direction, she received thousands of dollars through Western Union and Money Gram as payment for smuggled items.

Angel Vasquez was one of two trusted inmates at Northern State Prison who dealt directly with Roman in the smuggling scheme. Charges are pending against the second alleged inmate organizer or middle man, Willie Wade, 47. Wade and Angel Vasquez allegedly employed numerous other inmates as distributors to canvass the prison for customers.

The investigation was led by Detective Timothy Hackett and Detective Sgt. Dennis Buoye of the New Jersey State Police Street Gang North Unit, and Principal Investigator Scott Russo, Senior Investigator Michael Kubik and Senior Investigator Omar Howard of the Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division. Supervising Deputy Attorney General Andrew M. Butchko and Deputy Attorneys General Cassandra Serentino, Daniel Bornstein and Julia S. Glass presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. Deputy Attorney General J. Michael Wicke also assisted in the case.

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