Five Defendants, including a Federal Corrections Officer and a Former Federal Corrections Officer, Charged for Conspiring to Smuggle Contraband into Fort Dix Federal Prison

TRENTON, N.J. – Cameron Paige, 43, Ian Dennis, 32, Eden Germain, 27, Joe Lee McQuay, 48, and Keith Navarro Palmer, 41, were charged for their roles in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband into Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (“Fort Dix”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Paige, who is a Fort Dix corrections officer and Dennis, who is a former Fort Dix corrections officer, conspired with federal inmates McQuay and Navarro Palmer and two of the inmates’ colleagues outside Fort Dix, to smuggle contraband into the prison. All five defendants are charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to provide contraband in prison. In addition to being charged for their roles in the smuggling conspiracy, Dennis and Paige were also charged with agreeing to receive and receiving bribes.

Dennis, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Paige, a resident of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, and Germain, a resident of Delran, New Jersey, had their initial appearances on Sept. 16, 2026 before U.S. Magistrate Tonianne J. Bongiovanni and were all released on bail. McQuay and Navarro Palmer are serving federal terms of imprisonment and their initial appearances will be scheduled for a later date.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From May 2025 through May 2026, the defendants conspired with each other and others to smuggle contraband, including knives, marijuana, tobacco, cellular phones, vapes, cell phone chargers, tool kits, and a tattoo kit into Fort Dix, for sale to inmates detained at Fort Dix. One of the knives that the conspirators smuggled into the prison was later used by defendant McQuay to stab another inmate during a dispute involving money. In one instance, in August 2025, the co-conspirators discussed smuggling 20 cellular telephones, 8 cellular telephone charging blocks, 8 ounces of THC wax, and 10 vapes into the prison.

Every criminal must be punished and every innocent must get justice.

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