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TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that a suspended office manager
for the Student Government Organization
at New Jersey City University in Jersey
City was charged today with stealing more
than $167,000 in student funds.
According
Director Taylor, Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody,
48, of Jersey City, was arrested by the
New Jersey State Police on a complaint charging
her with second-degree theft by deception.
She allegedly stole more than $167,000 from
the Student Government Organization (SGO)
by issuing unauthorized checks from the
SGO checking account made payable to herself
and her husband.
The
SGO is a non-profit organization funded
by student activity fees charged to students.
About $600,000 is deposited into the SGO
checking account annually. Ruffin-Moody’s
salary and benefits are paid from the funds,
but most of the budget is used to fund student
athletics and other student activities.
As part of her duties, Ruffin-Moody filled
out payment vouchers to have SGO checks
issued. The vouchers and checks had to be
validated and signed by other university
officials.
It
is alleged that between July 2008 and December
2009, Ruffin-Moody issued 80 unauthorized
checks totaling $167,972.23 in the names
of herself and her husband. Specifically,
she allegedly had 73 checks totaling $151,962.23
issued in her husband’s name, and
seven checks totaling $16,010 issued in
her name. On each check, she allegedly forged
the signature of the associate dean who
is required to sign SGO checks. The unauthorized
checks were discovered in July 2010, after
several SGO checks bounced and Ruffin-Moody
reported that the SGO had exceeded its budget.
She was suspended without pay from her job
as office manager after the suspicious checks
were identified.
The
charge is the result of an investigation
by Detective Sgt. Geoffrey P. Forker, Detective
Mario DiRienzo and the New Jersey State
Police Official Corruption North Unit. Deputy
Attorney General Perry Primavera is handling
the case for the Division of Criminal Justice
Corruption Bureau.
The
second-degree theft charge carries a maximum
sentence of 10 years in state prison and
a $150,000 criminal fine. The complaint
is merely an accusation and the defendant
is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Because the charge is an indictable offense,
the case will be presented to a grand jury
for potential indictment.
Ruffin-Moody
is being held in Hudson County with bail
set at $150,000.
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