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Raymond Distasi, of Roxbury, and Quasi Cary, of Newark, both made false entries in the jail logbook indicating that they made made rounds in the jail that surveillance footage indicated that they did not make, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, said.
Distasi, 52, was working a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift at the Doremus Avenue facility March 17 and 18, when he logged certain rounds that he did not actually make, according to Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Apostolou, who is handling the case.
His failure to make the required rounds came to light when there was an in-custody death investigation, Apostolou said. Distasi was charged with tampering with public records.
Cary, 30, was working the 2 p.m. to 10 p.. shift on Dec. 2, 2018, when he lied about performing his tours in the log book, according to Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Albu, who his handling his case.
The failure to make the required rounds came to light when an inmate was assaulted, law enforcement officials said.
“The defendants had a duty to ensure the safety and security of inmates under their care," Albu said.
"Their failure to conduct required checks on inmates is inexcusable. Lying to conceal that failure is criminal conduct that will not be tolerated."
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards Bureau with the assistance of the Essex County Correctional Facility Internal Affairs Unit.
Both are due to make their first court appearance on March 11. They were charged by summons.
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