By Richard Khavkine
The Star-Ledger
NEWARK, NJ — A retired corrections officer who worked for Essex County monitoring youths on home detention has pleaded guilty to filing bogus reports on his whereabouts, admitting in court that he was coaching a high school softball team during the time he was supposed to be visiting with the juveniles, a release from the prosecutor’s office said.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors recommended that John Follo, who retired in 2007 after 25 years as a county corrections officer, be given three years in prison when he is sentenced next month, the release said.
Follo, 50, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of tampering with public records for indicating that he was visiting juveniles at their homes when he was actually working as a paid coach for the St. Mary’s High School girls softball team in Rutherford during spring 2012, the release said. High school records show that that he coached about 20 games during his scheduled county work hours.
Although the release says Follo has been employed by the county since 2007, he worked as a corrections officer from 1982 until his retirement as a lieutenant in 2007. He served for a time as president of the corrections officers’ supervisors’ union.
Full story: Essex County employee, a retired corrections officer, admits to falsifying work records