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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that the recreation supervisor for
the City of Perth Amboy pleaded guilty today
to stealing city funds which she used for
purchases for herself and former mayor Joseph
Vas.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Ana Pastrana, 49,
of Perth Amboy, pleaded guilty to an accusation
charging her with third-degree theft by unlawful
taking before Superior Court Judge Frederick
P. DeVesa in Middlesex County.
In
pleading guilty, Pastrana admitted that she
used city funds to pay off a credit card in
her name that was used to purchase personal
items for herself and former mayor Vas. The
credit card bills were paid using funds from
a bank account for the Perth Amboy Housing
Development Corporation that was under the
control of Jeffrey D. Gumbs Sr., who was city
director of human services and superintendent
of recreation under Vas. Pastrana admitted
that, at Vas’ direction, she used city
funds to pay for credit card purchases of
sneakers, beachwear and sportswear for Vas.
Under
the plea agreement, the state will recommend
that Pastrana be sentenced to a term of probation.
She must forfeit all three city positions
she holds. In addition to being recreation
supervisor, she is a special education teacher
in the city schools and serves as Perth Amboy
Municipal Alliance coordinator.
Pastrana
must pay restitution to the city in an amount
to be determined, which will be in excess
of $5,000, and perform 100 hours of community
service. She will be permanently barred from
public employment in New Jersey. Judge DeVesa
scheduled her sentencing for June 26.
“With
this second guilty plea, we continue to advance
our case against former Perth Amboy mayor
Joseph Vas, who we charge conspired with other
officials to enrich himself at the expense
of his struggling city and its taxpayers,”
said Attorney General Milgram.
On
March 23, Gumbs, 50, of Wilmington, Del.,
pleaded guilty before Judge DeVesa to theft,
misapplication of government property and
tampering with public records. He admitted
he submitted fraudulent invoices to the city
to obtain payment for personal expenses of
both Vas and himself.
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.
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.
The
Division of Criminal Justice has established
a toll-free Corruption Tipline for the public
to report corruption, financial crime and
other illegal activities: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Additionally, the public can log on to the
Division Web site at www.njdcj.org
to report suspected wrongdoing. All information
received through the Tipline or Web page will
remain confidential.
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