MAYS LANDING, N.J. — A former sergeant at the Atlantic County Justice Facility has been indicted on multiple charges, including official misconduct and evidence tampering, for his alleged actions during a 2023 incident involving recovered contraband.
Fred Gilbert, 38, of Egg Harbor City, N.J., was indicted on Thursday by an Atlantic County grand jury on nine counts of second-degree official misconduct, third-degree witness tampering, fourth-degree obstruction, two counts of fourth-degree false reporting to law enforcement authorities, and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
Prosecutors allege that on June 12, 2023, Gilbert, while employed as a sergeant at the facility, concealed or destroyed contraband that had been recovered from an inmate. Gilbert is further accused of directing a junior officer to file a false report stating that the contraband had not been recovered. He then allegedly authored a similar false report himself.
The investigation uncovered additional misconduct, including allegations that Gilbert attempted to tamper with witnesses involved in the case. These actions form the basis of the nine counts of official misconduct and related charges.