Lawyer From South Jersey Smuggled Drugs Into Prison: Feds

TURNERSVILLE, NJ — A defense attorney from South Jersey was arrested this week after authorities say he smuggled drugs and other contraband into a federal prison in Philadelphia.

Paul DiMaio, a practicing criminal attorney, gave a folder to an inmate at the Federal Detention Center Philadelphia last month, officials said. One of the folders contained a Motorola cell phone, a charging cord, 240 loose cigarettes and 83 strips of suboxone — a Schedule III drug — according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern Pennsylvania.

The inmate was not one of DiMaio's clients, according to federal prosecutors.

DiMaio, 56, was arrested at his Turnersville home this week and charged with providing contraband to a prison inmate and aiding and abetting.

On Feb. 4, DiMaio entered the prison with two "redweld" type folders, officials said. He carried both into a legal visitation room and met with an inmate for 18 minutes, according to prosecutors.

Surveillance footage showed DiMaio leaving the room with only one folder, officials said.

After the meeting, prison personnel saw the inmate carrying the other folder and discovered the contraband inside, authorities said.

The mother of a different inmate — Tanya Culver, 55, of Philadelphia — faces the same charge for her alleged role in the scheme. Culver helped acquire the contraband, communicated with DiMaio and traveled to the prison with him on Feb. 4, officials said.

If convicted, DiMaio and Culver each face up to five years in prison and maximum fines of $250,000.