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TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that a former employee of the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of
New Jersey pleaded guilty today to stealing
407 cell phones and two laptop computers
from the university.
According
to Director Taylor, Andres Santana, 35,
of Newark, pleaded guilty to third-degree
theft by unlawful taking before Superior
Court Judge Michael A. Petrolle in Essex
County.
Under
the plea agreement, the state will recommend
that Santana be sentenced to a term of probation.
He forfeited his job and will be permanently
barred from public employment in New Jersey.
Santana must pay restitution of $19,402
to UMDNJ for the stolen equipment.
Judge
Petrolle scheduled sentencing for Santana
for Jan. 12, 2011. Deputy Attorney General
Vincent J. Militello took the guilty plea
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau.
Verizon
Wireless alerted UMDNJ in January 2010 that
several cell phones registered to the university
had been located in Brooklyn, N.Y. UMDNJ
initially investigated the case and referred
it to the Division of Criminal Justice as
soon as criminal conduct was uncovered.
UMDNJ continued to assist the Division of
Criminal Justice in the investigation.
Santana
formerly was a senior technologist at UMDNJ.
His responsibilities, among others, included
managing the cell phone program for the
university. In pleading guilty, Santana
admitted that between December 2007 and
January 2010, he used his position to have
407 cell phones and two laptop computers
shipped to his personal residence on Morris
Avenue in Newark. The items were originally
destined for UMDNJ from Verizon. The state's
investigation revealed that Santana provided
the cell phones and laptops to another individual,
who was reselling the equipment. That individual
has not been found. The total value of the
cell phones and computers was approximately
$19,402.
Detective
Michael Behar conducted the investigation
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau. Compliance Investigator Scott Strother
was the lead investigator for the UMDNJ
Investigations Group, under the supervision
of Interim Director of Investigations James
DiGiulio and Vice President for Investigations
Neil Schorr.
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