A New Jersey Department of Corrections officer was indicted on March 26 for allegedly assaulting an inmate, filing false reports, and framing the inmate for weapon possession, according to a statement from Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
The indictment of Daniel Petoia, a senior correctional police officer from Manahawkin, includes twelve counts related to an incident at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton on December 20, 2024. The case raises concerns about accountability within correctional facilities and the importance of upholding legal standards by law enforcement personnel.
Attorney General Davenport said, “It is critical that corrections officers adhere to the law while performing their difficult, essential work in our criminal justice system. The State cannot and will not look the other way when incarcerated individuals are assaulted without justification by those who should be upholding and enforcing the law.”
Eric L. Gibson, Executive Director of OPIA, said, “Those who are incarcerated should not face arbitrary violence committed by correctional officers. There must be accountability when unwarranted physical force is used to assault individuals in the custody of the state. False justifications memorialized in official reports simply cannot be tolerated, especially when crafted to cover up misconduct by public officials.” DOC Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn added that “The New Jersey Department of Corrections maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of those in our care. Our officers are entrusted to uphold the law and ensure public safety; any betrayal of that responsibility through criminal conduct is a violation of our core mission and will not be tolerated.”
According to investigators cited in the indictment documents released by OPIA, Petoia allegedly possessed a sharpened metal object which he falsely attributed to an inmate before striking him multiple times without justification. It is further alleged that he filed official reports with fabricated accounts intended to cover up his actions.
Petoia faces charges including two counts of official misconduct (second degree), aggravated assault (third degree), unlawful possession of a weapon (fourth degree), tampering with records or information (third degree), falsifying records (fourth degree), making false reports (third degree), and tampering with physical evidence (fourth degree). Second-degree offenses could result in five to ten years’ imprisonment; third-degree charges carry three-to-five-year sentences; fourth-degree offenses could mean up to eighteen months’ incarceration.
The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Robert J. Serrano and Samantha Eaton under supervision from senior staff at OPIA’s Corruption Bureau.
According to the official website, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while providing statewide enforcement support across all counties and municipalities. The office influences public safety through its role enforcing laws under its statutory mandate—including legal representation for state agencies as well as oversight over crime labs, victim advocacy programs, consumer protection initiatives—and operates as a key agency focused on justice throughout New Jersey.
