Federal prison guard busted with heroin
TRENTON >> A federal corrections officer apparently came to the capital city to buy drugs.
He left with criminal charges.
Joshua Carr, 36, of Bordentown, was arrested on Feb. 27 after detectives observed him engaged in a drug transaction with Kendall Rossi on the 100 block of Liberty Street, Lt. Stephen Varn said Wednesday.
Police allegedly witnessed the Fort Dix prison guard approach his drug dealer, and Rossi hand Carr an item.
“They observed Carr handing Rossi money,” Varn said. “Detectives pulled up, at which point, Carr dropped an item to the ground, which detectives found to be five glassine envelopes containing suspected heroin, and he still had money in his hand.”
Police seized $87 in cash that was in Carr’s possession and the five decks of heroin.
Carr was charged with possession of drugs, loitering to commit a drug offense, and hindering apprehension. He was released after being issued
summonses.
A spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said Carr started working for the agency in January 2014.
“All we can confirm is that he is currently employed with the Bureau of Prisons, and his salary is $55,681 per year,” BOP spokeswoman Tovia Knight said Wednesday in an email.
She did not respond to a follow-up question if Carr was suspended following his arrest.
Carr did not return a message seeking comment.
The federal prison guard’s alleged drug transaction gained notoriety on Tuesday when The Trentonian reported that Rossi claimed he was severely beaten by three Trenton cops as he was handcuffed at the police department’s headquarters following his arrest. Rossi claimed Carr witnessed the attack.
A mugshot of Rossi when he entered the police station shows that his face appears unblemished.
But a short time later, Rossi’s head was swollen and bruised with injuries and police needed to take him to the hospital.
Earlier this week, police did not deny that a struggle ensued with Rossi at police headquarters, but they claimed he “physically resisted” officers.
Following the altercation,
Rossi sustained a concussion, a badly sprained shoulder, and swelling and contusions to his face, according to his hospital records provided to The Trentonian.
Rossi provided his account of the events that led to his arrest in an exclusive Trentonian interview on Friday.
On Feb. 27, Rossi said he was smoking a cigarette on his porch when he saw Carr, a friend, come out of McManimon’s pub.
“There’s no drug transactions, there’s no anything to make you even insinuate or think there’s something going on,” Rossi said. “I shook his hand. I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
Police pulled up a short time later and, Rossi said, Carr allegedly dropped a couple bags of drugs on the ground.
“I didn’t even notice but he dropped whatever he had in his hand,” Rossi said, noting he left his front door open on the chilly night to quickly say hello to him in a tank top and pajama pants.
Rossi, 38, was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, intent to distribute drugs near a school property, possession of drugs, two counts of possession with intent to distribute, loitering to commit a controlled substances offense and three counts of resisting arrest.
Police said an officer was also injured in the melee at the police station, but provided no other details.
“I never had an assault on my record,” Rossi said, noting he served time for hitting someone while driving with a suspended license but has been on the up-and-up since his youth. “I never had a resisting arrest in my life. I don’t know any of these police, none of these police know me as a known drug dealer. I have not sold drugs in years.”
“They observed Carr handing Rossi money. Detectives pulled up, at which point, Carr dropped an item to the ground, which detectives found to be five glassine envelopes containing suspected heroin, and he still had money in his hand.” — Trenton Police Lt. Stephen Varn