TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability today announced that a New Jersey Department of Corrections police officer has pleaded guilty after assaulting a resident at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC), Special Treatment Unit (STU), in the Avenel section of Woodbridge.

During a plea hearing on December 3, 2024, Giuseppe Mandara, 55, of Brick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault (3rd degree), admitting he attempted to cause significant bodily injury to the victim. The hearing took place before state Superior Court Judge Thomas K. Isenhour, in Union County.

Under the terms of a plea agreement reached with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), Mandara entered into a consent order forfeiting his public employment and barring him from any future public office or employment.  Prosecutors will recommend, during an upcoming sentencing hearing, that the court order Mandara to serve four years in New Jersey state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2025.

“Under the Independent Prosecutor Law, my office has the responsibility to investigate and prosecute incidents of death or harm that take place in law enforcement custody. This conviction demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that those in positions of power do not abuse their authority or harm those in their custody,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Those in state custody have rights and are entitled to the protections of the law, and violators will face justice.”

“This guilty plea makes clear that we will not ignore or condone abuses of individuals who are in state custody,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “The defendant violated the trusted position he held and will be held accountable.”

Based on the documents filed in the case and Mandara’s plea allocution, Mandara assaulted the victim on August 23, 2019, inside the sally port area of the West Housing Unit in the STU. The victim was walking away to his assigned work location as Mandara purposely took off his duty belt, which included keys to the facility and a radio. Mandara then advanced toward the victim in order to continue an earlier verbal dispute he had with the victim. While in the sally port, the encounter escalated into a physical fight. Mandara and the victim ended up on the ground, where the physical altercation continued. Mandara repeatedly punched the victim while he was on the ground. Mandara admitted to the court that his repeated punches were done with the specific intent to cause significant bodily injury to the victim and that his actions were excessive and without justification under the circumstances.

Several days after the altercation the victim suffered a fatal stroke. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), a state grand jury received evidence and heard testimony from the state medical examiner about the cause of the stroke and manner of death. The grand jury did not initiate homicide charges in connection with the victim’s death.

Deputy Attorneys General Amy Knutsen and Peter Choy prosecuted the case for OPIA, under the supervision of OPIA Executive Director Skinner.

Defense attorney

For Mandara: Stuart Alterman, Esq

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