Former NJDOC Official Pleads Not Guilty to Bribery, Attempted Extortion Charges
As reported by nj.com, former Department of Corrections’ official Lydell Sherrer pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery and attempted extortion today in federal court. Sherrer is accused of taking bribes from corrections employees he supervised while serving as assistant commissioner.
Federal authorities said he offered jobs, transfers and help with a lawsuit against the Department. He sought $52,500 from five current and former employees and received $19,000, according to the indictment released June 9.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skahill said the prosecution will present recordings of meetings and phone calls, as well as bank records. He also said the case against Sherrer could still grow. “We’re still investigating any credible leads,” he said.
Lisa Van Hoeck, a federal public defender, is representing Sherrer. No trial date has been set.
