A Jersey City police officer today admitted to conspiring to defraud Jersey City by obtaining compensation for off-duty work that she did not perform, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Officials stated that Gicella Sanchez, 36, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to defraud a local government receiving federal funds.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Private contractors and businesses sometimes needed to use the services of off-duty Jersey City police officers for certain projects, including work within Jersey City that could obstruct the flow of traffic.
The off-duty assignments were made by a Jersey City Police Department-designated coordinator for the district in which the assignment was to be carried out.
Officers receiving these off-duty assignments were required to complete and provide to the coordinator a voucher that indicated, among other things, the hours worked on particular off-duty assignments.
From November 2014 through June 2016, Sanchez conspired with another Jersey City police officer who was authorized to assign off-duty work and sign vouchers.
That officer – with Sanchez’s knowledge and consent – submitted phony vouchers to Jersey City indicating that Sanchez had completed certain off-duty assignments that she never actually performed. In other instances, Sanchez showed up to off-duty job sites but left before her shift ended.
As a result, Sanchez accepted thousands of dollars for off-duty work that she never performed.
The Jersey City Police Department is cooperating with the investigation.