A Passaic County social services clerk was recently placed under arrest and charged with theft after she allegedly stole food stamps.
The suspect is a 61-year-old woman who lives in Paterson NJ and who worked as a clerk for the Passaic County Board of Social Services.
According to authorities, the suspect stole food stamps from needy people and then spent the stamps on herself. The stolen food stamps reportedly were intended for five low-income individuals and had a value of more than $500.
Passaic County prosecutors stated that the suspect committed the theft crimes between November 2015 and February 2017. The Passaic County Prosecutor s Office worked with the North East Regional Office of the Inspector General for the US Department of Agriculture to investigate the theft allegations and arrest the suspect.
The suspect has been charged with theft by deception, identity theft, unauthorized use of food stamp coupons, and other fraud offenses.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect was released on her own recognizance without needing to post bail. She will need to appear in Passaic County Superior Court at a later date in order to answer the theft and fraud charges against her.
If the suspect is ultimately convicted in the case, she could be sentenced to more than 15 years in New Jersey State Prison. She would also be subject to $75K in court-imposed fines.
In addition to facing the very serious criminal charges, the suspect will also be subject to discipline and possibly termination from her job in Passaic County, NJ.
To learn more about this case, view the NJ.com article, “County Worker Stole Food Stamps from Poor Families.”
