Cinnaminson sewer workers charged with theft

An investigation into activity in a New Jersey Sewer resulted in charges of theft within members of the authority. As a result, seven of the 15 workers employed by the authority were accused of stealing equipment and using department resources for personal purposes. Another non-employee was also charged in the case.

Local authorities were tipped off to the alleged criminal activity when a backhoe, a large piece of equipment used to dig up and move around large amounts of dirt, went missing. County officials went to look for it. Their searches turned up the backhoe located on the property of a Pennsylvania man who had two sons working for the Cinnaminson Sewerage Authority. Law enforcement authorities claim that workers for the authority reported that the equipment was broken, when in reality, it was still functioning.

The man who possessed the backhoe was also charged for the crime. He was the only person charged for crimes that did not work for the authority.

Law enforcement launched a more thorough investigation once they uncovered the backhoe.

Some of the authority employees are facing allegations of using company time to do jobs for their private businesses. These employees were acting as sewer contractors, the men were hired on for a job at an area motel.

The authority’s superintendent is suspected of purchasing a number of personal items through a contractor services company and billing the authority for them. These things included GPS systems, vehicle tires and stereos, among other things.

The sewage workers involved face charges for theft, conspiracy to commit theft and corruption of public resources. They have also been suspended from work without pay.

Source: Star Ledger, “8 sewerage authority employees in N.J. town charged after discovery of widespread corruption,” Feb. 16, 2012