SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck has filed charges against 11 men who he says formed a "hit squad" within the prison system.
Bruck says the men, current and former inmates, are members of the Latin Kings street gang. He alleges that they conspired to carry out violent attacks on targeted people in prisons on behalf of the gang. Numerous beatings have left inmates seriously injured at state prisons in Trenton and Newark.
Nine of the defendants were charged in April, and the indictment was sealed until the final defendants were charged.
The indictment also alleges members of the gang learned about the investigation into their activities, and two of the men were apparently working on a plan to attack Department of Corrections officials at their homes.
In a prepared statement, Bruck said violence in prisons will not be tolerated and his office is committed to ensuring the safety of everyone behind prison walls.