Mercer Corrections Officer Traded Drugs For Cash, Indicted: AG

MERCER, NJ — A correctional officer with the Mercer County Department of Corrections has been indicted for accepting bribes in exchange for providing inmates with illegal drugs, tobacco products, and other contraband, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Tyree L. Hobbs, 39, of Hamilton, was indicted last month on four criminal counts, including official misconduct charges, by New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury, Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) said.

According to the complaint, the criminal conduct began roughly 10 months after Hobbs joined the Mercer County Department of Corrections in February 2017.

According to investigation he would accept bribes for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to smuggle in packages for inmates containing a variety of contraband, typically illicit narcotics and tobacco, into the Mercer County Correction Center (MCCC) in Hopewell Township.

Investigation showed that Hobbs functioned as a courier, receiving sealed packages outside the MCCC from inmate affiliates — packages he would then bring into the facility and hide in locations accessible to the inmates.

Authorities said Hobbs would receive anywhere from $300 to $2,500 in bribes for each such delivery, paid either in cash or via mobile money-transfer apps.

Hobbs was charged by complaint on June 14, 2023, following an investigation by OPIA. Authorities said Hobbs took bribes from inmates between approximately November 2017 until July 2022, when he was suspended without pay.

“As alleged, the defendant put personal profit ahead of his duty to protect inmates, his fellow officers, and the public,” Platkin said. “We will continue to hold accountable those who illegally violate the public’s trust.”

Hobbs was indicted on the following charges:

• Official misconduct (2nd degree)
• Pattern of official misconduct (2nd degree)
• Bribery in official and political matters (2nd degree)
• Acceptance or receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public servant (2nd degree)

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