Newark Code Enforcement Officer Indicted for Soliciting Bribes from Local Business

Sonia Rogers, 50, is accused of demanding cash and merchandise in exchange for lifting enforcement actions and avoiding fines

NEWARK, NJ — A Newark city code enforcement officer has been indicted by a state grand jury for allegedly soliciting bribes and extorting a local business in exchange for lifting regulatory penalties and allowing the business to reopen. The announcement was made by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) on August 20, 2025.

Sonia Rogers, 50, of Newark, is facing four second-degree charges following a September 2024 incident in which she allegedly used her official capacity to seek unlawful personal gain from a store on Broad Street. The charges include:

• Official misconduct

• Bribery in official and political matters

• Theft by extortion

• Acceptance or receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior

Each second-degree offense carries a potential prison sentence of five to 10 years and fines of up to $150,000.

Alleged Extortion and Bribery at Newark Retailer

According to investigators, Rogers conducted an official inspection at a Broad Street store while in uniform and subsequently ordered the business to close, citing an expired municipal business license. She allegedly told store staff that, although the business should legally remain closed until it passed a fire inspection and reactivated its license, she could “do them a favor” by allowing it to reopen—if she was compensated.

Rogers allegedly demanded $800 in cash, implying that the store would avoid fines and reopen sooner if the payment was made. When the business failed to produce the cash, Rogers is said to have accepted store merchandise in lieu of payment, taking goods without paying.

The state grand jury concluded that Rogers’s actions met the legal threshold for extortion, determining that she had used threats of official enforcement action as leverage to obtain personal benefits.

Ongoing Investigation and Prosecution

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Diana Bibb and Samantha Eaton of OPIA, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Laura Croce, Bureau Co-Directors Jeffrey J. Manis and Eric Gibson, and OPIA Director Drew Skinner.

The indictment is the result of a continuing effort by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability to root out corruption at all levels of government in New Jersey.

At this stage, the charges against Sonia Rogers are allegations only. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. No trial date has been announced as of this writing.

The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability encourages anyone with information about potential misconduct by public employees to come forward through appropriate channels.