Two former employees of the Paterson school district are currently facing charges for theft and receiving stolen property after authorities implicated the two women in the theft of district-owned iPads.
According to Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, 28-year-old East Orange resident Shamonique Sharpe, as well as 45-year-old Paterson resident Sharon Roundtree are accused of stealing at least four iPads from the Dr. Martin Luther King School in Paterson, New Jersey.
Sharpe was a security guard employed by a company contracted by the Paterson school district. She allegedly conspired with Sharpe, who served as a school parent liaison. Both of the accused were fired after the charges against them were filed and both have been released pending appearances in court.
Officials reported that the iPads contained tracking devices, which were utilized to find at least two of those stolen thus far. According to James Smith, the Security Director for district schools, over 15,000 tracking devices have been inserted in computers in coordination with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office to address the theft of district-owned electronics.
Those charged with theft offenses, including the aforementioned defendants, can be subjected to serious penalties if convicted. Theft offenses are governed under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3a, and can be classified as second, third or fourth degree crimes, as well as disorderly persons offenses, depending on a variety of criteria. The factors that determine the degree of classification in theft offenses include:
- The value of the stolen property involved
- Whether the property was taken by extortion; and
- If the property stolen was a controlled dangerous substance (and in what quantity), a firearm, a motor vehicle, a vessel, a boat, a horse, a domestic companion, an animal, an airplane, or a New Jersey Prescription Blank.
The degree of the offense spells direct implications for the sentence imposed if the defendant is ultimately convicted, as each degree corresponds with specific sentencing ranges and presumptions, enumerated under the New Jersey Criminal Code.
If you have been charged with a theft offense, contact Passaic County, NJ criminal defense attorney Alissa D. Hascup for a free consultation about your case.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Ex-security guard, school employee pilfered iPads from Paterson school, sheriff says
