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TagsHeddi Sutherland, 43, of Millville, pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree official misconduct before state Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker Jr. in Bridgeton, Attorney General Paula T. Dow said. The charge was contained in a May 11 state grand jury indictment.
Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Sutherland be sentenced to five years in state prison. She must pay $44,000 in restitution to Fairfield and will be permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey.
Becker scheduled sentencing for May 7.
Sutherland admitted that between January 2003 and December 2007, while employed as the Fairfield tax collector, she stole approximately $44,000 by collecting cash property tax payments from township residents and keeping the money for her personal use.
The state's investigation revealed that Sutherland made computer entries of the cash payments using the township's tax collection software and issued receipts to taxpayers. However, she then altered the computer entries in order to conceal her theft of the cash, which was never deposited into the township's bank account.
Sutherland was terminated as Fairfield tax collector in March 2008 because she could not obtain the necessary security bond required for persons holding such positions. The new tax collector and an accounting firm hired by the township for an audit discovered a discrepancy between the amount of property taxes collected and the amount of tax proceeds actually deposited into the township's bank account. They referred the matter to the State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice.
Deputy Attorney General Susan Kase is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by Det. Matthew Peeke, Det. Sgt. Karl Ulbrich and Det.Anthony Carugno of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau, and Deputy Attorney General Michael Wicke.
– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
