|
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 was sentenced
today for 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, was sentenced
to three years of probation by Superior Court
Judge Mitchel E. Ostrer in Mercer County.
She was required to forfeit her pension and
is permanently barred from public employment
in New Jersey. McNeil also was ordered to
pay back the $3,500 and pay a $1,500 fine.
McNeil pleaded guilty on Jan.
13 to theft by unlawful taking or disposition,
forgery and passing a bad check. The charges
were contained in a Feb. 6, 2008 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.
Detective Melissa Calkin investigated
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Erik Daab
prosecuted the case and handled today’s
sentencing. 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.
#
# # |
