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TRENTON – Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced that a department
director for former mayor Joseph Vas pleaded
guilty today to helping Vas steal funds from
the City of Perth Amboy.
According to Director Gramiccioni,
Jeffrey D. Gumbs Sr., 50, of Wilmington, Del.,
who served as Perth Amboy’s director
of human services and superintendent of recreation
under Vas, pleaded guilty today to an accusation
charging him with theft, misapplication of
government property and tampering with public
records, all in the third degree. Gumbs pleaded
guilty before Superior Court Judge Frederick
P. DeVesa in Middlesex County.
In pleading guilty, Gumbs
admitted that he submitted fraudulent invoices
to the city on behalf of Vas to obtain payment
for personal expenses of the mayor. Gumbs
admitted that he also stole city funds for
personal expenses of his own by submitting
false invoices.
Vas, 54, a New Jersey assemblyman,
was indicted by the Division of Criminal Justice
on March 11 on charges he conspired with city
employees to steal approximately $5,000 in
funds of the City of Perth Amboy to pay for
personal purchases and expenses. Vas was also
indicted with his personal driver, Anthony
S. Jones, for an alleged scheme in which Vas
rigged a public lottery so Jones won the opportunity
to buy an affordable two-family home through
the Perth Amboy Home Program.
“This guilty plea is
a significant step in our investigation and
prosecution of this case,” said Attorney
General Milgram. “Mr. Gumbs admitted
that he helped the mayor to steal taxpayer
funds. We charge that Joseph Vas used the
city like his own piggybank.”
Under the plea agreement,
the state will recommend that Gumbs be sentenced
to a term of probation. He must pay restitution
to the City of Perth Amboy and will be permanently
barred from public employment in New Jersey.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26.
The charges stem from an investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau. Assistant Attorney General Lewis Korngut
and Deputy Attorney General Dianne C. DiGiamber
Deal are prosecuting the case. The investigation
was led by Sgt. Dino Dettorre and Detective
Benjamin Kukis, assisted by Lt. Daniel O'Brien,
Sgt. Robert McGrath, Detective Lee Bailey,
Detective Melissa Calkin, Detective Lisa Cawley,
Detective Shaun Egan, Detective Kiersten Pentony,
Detective Robert Stemmer and Civil Investigator
Joseph Salvatore
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