Tax Collector Indicted for Allegedly Stealing $100K in Property Taxes

TRENTON — Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced that the former tax collector for Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, was indicted Monday, May 11 for allegedly stealing approximately $100,000 in property tax payments.
According to Director Gramiccioni, the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment charging Heddi Sutherland, 42, of Millville, with official misconduct, theft by failure to make required disposition of property, and computer theft, all in the second degree.
“It is appalling that Sutherland viewed her public office as an opportunity to pocket cash for her personal use, stealing money from Fairfield Township taxpayers,” said Milgram in a release. “We will continue to root out and aggressively prosecute such acts of public corruption.”
The indictment alleges that between January 2003 and December 2007, while employed as the municipal tax collector, Sutherland stole approximately $100,000 from Fairfield Township by collecting cash property tax payments from township residents and keeping the money for her personal use. Sutherland allegedly made computer entries of the cash payments using the township’s tax collection software and issued receipts to taxpayers. However, it is alleged she then altered the computer entries in order to conceal her theft of the cash, which was never deposited into the township’s bank account.
Sutherland was terminated as Fairfield Township tax collector in March 2008 because she could not obtain the necessary security bond required for persons holding such positions. The new tax collector and an accounting firm hired by the township for an audit discovered a discrepancy between the amount of property taxes collected and the amount of tax proceeds actually deposited into the township’s bank account. They referred the matter to the New Jersey State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice.
Deputy Attorney General Susan Kase presented the case to the grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Detective Matthew Peeke, Detective Sgt. Karl Ulbrich and Detective Anthony Carugno of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau, and Deputy Attorneys General Susan Kase and Michael Wicke.
Second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictment was handed up today to Superior Court Judge Maria Marinari Sypek in Mercer County, who assigned it to Cumberland County, where Sutherland will be ordered to appear in court at a later date to answer the charges.
The indictment is posted with this release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
Attorney General Milgram noted that the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau has established a toll-free tipline: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web page at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will remain confidential.