TRENTON - Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced that a former
civilian aide for the Irvington Police Department
was sentenced to prison today for stealing
more than $31,000 in coins from municipal
parking meters.
According to Director Gramiccioni,
Rodney Dennis, 52, of Irvington, was sentenced
to three years in state prison by Superior
Court Judge Michael A. Petrolle in Essex County.
Dennis pleaded guilty on Jan. 5 to second-degree
official misconduct, a charge contained in
a June 18, 2008 state grand jury indictment
obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice.
Dennis also was ordered to pay full restitution
to the City of Irvington of $31,885.
Dennis was a civilian employee
of the Irvington Police Department whose duties
included removing the coins from street parking
meters, bagging the coins, and depositing
them into a police department bank account.
In pleading guilty, Dennis admitted that between
Jan. 21 and Dec. 9, 2006, he took $31,885
in coins from Irvington parking meters and
deposited them in his personal bank account
for his personal use. Dennis was fired from
his municipal job in February 2008, after
the thefts came to light. An investigator
at the bank where Dennis had the account alerted
the Irvington Police Department about the
suspicious coin deposits. The police department
referred the matter to the Division of Criminal
Justice.
The case was investigated
by Detective Harry Maronpot of the Division
of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy
Attorney General Michael A. Monahan prosecuted
the case and handled today’s sentencing.
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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