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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a former clerk-typist for
the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection pleaded guilty today to stealing
$3,500 by changing the dollar amount and
name of the payee on a check DEP received
with an application.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Stephanie McNeil,
40, of Ewing, pleaded guilty before Superior
Court Judge Mitchel E. Osterer in Mercer
County to theft by unlawful taking or disposition,
forgery and passing a bad check, all third-degree
charges. The charges were contained in a
Feb. 6, 2008 state grand jury indictment.
At
the guilty plea hearing, McNeil admitted
that, in her position as a clerk-typist
for DEP, she received a check for $750 payable
to the state treasurer that represented
an application fee from a real estate company.
It is charged that she changed the amount
to $3,500 and made it payable to a relative,
“H. McNeil.” She allegedly deposited
the check into the relative’s account
and used a debit card to make purchases
with the stolen funds. DEP became aware
that the check was missing after the real
estate company called to check on its application.
DEP alerted the Division of Criminal Justice,
which investigated the case.
McNeil
is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Osterer
on Feb. 24. Under the plea agreement, the
State will recommend a sentence of three
years probation conditioned on her paying
back the $3,500, plus a $1,500 fine. She
will be permanently barred from public employment
in New Jersey. She also will be required
to forfeit her pension.
Detective
Melissa Calkin investigated for the Division
of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy
Attorney General Erik Daab is prosecuting
the case. Attorney General Milgram thanked
the Department of Environmental Protection
for its referral in this matter.
The
Division of Criminal Justice - Corruption
Bureau has established a toll-free tipline:
1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public
can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice
Web page at www.njdcj.org
to report suspected wrongdoing. All information
received through the Division of Criminal
Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will
remain confidential.
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