RAHWAY, N.J. -- An imprisoned street gang leader claimed that inmates had stashed guns at four New Jersey prisons for a coordinated uprising to be followed by an assassination of Newark's new mayor, according to a prison guard union official and published reports.
The threats led to heightened prison security, which was in its third day Wednesday.
The letters were found Sunday in the East Jersey State Prison cell of Lester Alford, a convicted murderer and leader of the Bloods street gang, said Joseph Malagrino, the president of a union that represents rank-and-file guards.
One letter mentioned a plan for a Bloods member to kill Cory Booker, who is to be sworn in as mayor of the state's largest city on July 1 and who has been under round-the-clock protection for about two weeks since a death threat was first received.
The letters were obtained by The Star-Ledger of Newark and described in the Press of Atlantic City for Wednesday's newspapers. In one message, Alford told someone planning to kill Booker that the prison uprising should happen first.
``So we had a meeting by phone I told him breath (sic) easy, let's set it off in the four prisons first then get that dude,'' Alford wrote.
Pablo Fonseca, a top adviser to Booker, said his staff had been briefed about the letter and was not planning to further tighten security. Booker said he is confident that every measure is being taken to protect his security.
"I will not be intimidated or distracted from my goal to make sure that every Newarker is safe,'' Booker said in a prepared statement. "I am looking forward to July 1 when I take office as mayor and am able to completely implement my safety goals for the entire city.''
The letters claimed there were 13 guns stashed away at the prisons for use in a simultaneous uprising, according to the newspapers. Alford in one letter said the attacks needed to happen quickly -- before officials could find any weapons.
"If one prison does it before the other 3 it all spoils because they'll lock every prison down immediately,'' Alford wrote. "Everything is on position and waiting on my call!''
State Corrections Department spokesman Matthew Schuman would not confirm whether the letters existed, but said Wednesday that movements in the prison remained restricted while searches continued.
Malagrino, president of Police Benevolent Association Local 105, which represents correction officers, said the threats in the letters were credible.
"We've seen a lot of letters before. This is too explicit in details of the four institutions,'' he said.
He also noted that Alford has been cited three times for having a cell phone in prison -- which could give him the ability to coordinate attacks.
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