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TRENTON – Attorney
General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice
Director Stephen J. Taylor announced a new
arrest today in the case of a suspended
office manager at New Jersey City University
who was charged Friday with stealing over
$167,000 in student funds. The State Police
today arrested the woman’s husband
and charged him with participating in the
theft of funds.
According Director Taylor,
Alex Moody, 51, of Jersey City, was arrested
this morning at his home and charged by
complaint with second-degree theft by deception.
Moody allegedly participated with his wife,
Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, in the theft
of more than $167,000 from the Student Government
Organization (SGO). The wife, who was office
manager for the SGO, allegedly issued unauthorized
checks from the SGO checking account made
payable to herself and her husband. She
was charged by complaint on Friday with
second-degree theft by deception.
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
theft charge carries a sentence of up to
10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine.
The complaints are merely accusations and
the defendants are presumed innocent until
proven guilty. Because the charge is an
indictable offense, the case will be presented
to a grand jury for potential indictment.
Bail was set at $150,000 each for Moody
and Ruffin-Moody.
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