BRIDGETON — A former corrections officer is going to prison as an inmate.
Neil J. Armstrong, 35, of Vineland received a total sentence of 11 1/2 years for interfering with an investigation into possible wrongdoing at the Cumberland County Jail.
The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said a jury heard during his trial in September that Armstrong threatened to kill a woman if she revealed their relationship to investigators.
The relationship with a former inmate included drug use and sexual services at Melville’s home, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement issued on November 3.
She added that the woman was threatened in Melville in the fall of 2017.
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Armstrong also asked a friend in July 2018 to help remotely delete incriminating messages and data from his cellphone, which authorities had confiscated, the prosecutor’s office said.
Superior Court Judge Christine D’Arrigo sentenced Armstrong on November 3 after denying the defense’s request for a new trial.
A prison sentence of 7 and a half years was imposed on charges of obstructing arrest or prosecution. This will be followed by a four-year prison sentence for attempting to hinder arrest.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter at the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.
This article originally appeared on the Cherry Hill Courier-Post: A Vineland man was found guilty of obstructing the investigation
