TRENTON,
NJ -- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
today announced that an ongoing Division
of Criminal Justice investigation
targeting public corruption in the cabinet-level
office of the New Jersey Commerce &
Economic Growth Commission has resulted
in additional criminal charges being filed
against the Commission’s former
Chief-of-Staff and Vice-President of Operations.
“This
investigation and prosecution continues
to uncover allegations of corruption that
demonstrate a complete disregard for public
policy, the laws of this State, and which
reveal a pattern of alleged illegal activity
by a former senior public official more
concerned about personal enrichment than
the interests of New Jersey taxpayers.
This widening corruption investigation
continues,” said Attorney General
Harvey.
Criminal Justice Director Vaughn L. McKoy
said that a State Grand Jury indictment
returned today (Wed., July 27) charged
Lesly Devereaux, a/k/a Lesly Harper, 46,
74 Azelea Place, Piscataway, Middlesex
County, with theft by deception, tampering
with public records or information, and
forgery. Devereaux was previously indicted
by the State Grand Jury on Dec. 6, 2004,
on corruption-related charges of official
misconduct. Mercer County Superior Court
Judge Mariann K. Bielamowicz previously
set bail at $20,000.
According to McKoy, the current welfare
fraud charges result from a Special Prosecutions
Bureau investigation which uncovered evidence
that from July, 2000 to May, 2001, Devereaux,
using the name of Lesly Harper, applied
for food stamps through the Middlesex
County Board of Social Services using
false and fraudulent information.
The State Grand Jury indictment alleges
that Devereaux, a licensed New Jersey
attorney since 1989, applied for public
assistance food stamps in June, 2000.
It is charged that Devereaux failed to
report significant financial assets, including
household income generated by her husband,
her employment as an attorney, and the
contents of several bank accounts. As
a result of the fraudulent documentation,
Devereaux received $426.00 in food stamps
in October, 2000 and $211.00 per month
in food stamps from November, 2000 through
May, 2001. The total amount of food stamps
allotted to Devereaux was more than $1,900.00.
The investigation determined that during
the period Devereaux was receiving public
assistance food stamps, she and her husband
earned more than $60,000.00.
The Dec. 6, 2004, State Grand Jury indictment
charged that from October, 2003 through
June, 2004, Devereaux, as Chief-of-Staff
and Vice-President of Operations for the
New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth
Commission, utilized her state government
position to benefit herself and several
family members, including the hiring of
Lillian Harper (mother) and Candace Harper
(sister) as outside “consultants.”
The investigation determined that Candace
Harper, while living in North Carolina,
was paid $9,250 for consulting work to
purportedly review vendor files and to
develop a database of vendors for use
by the Commission. Additionally, it was
charged that Lillian Harper (mother) was
paid $2,275 as an independent consultant
to proof read two Commerce Commission
publications which had already been reviewed,
edited, and published by Commerce Commission
staff. The indictment also alleged that
in response to an Office of Legislative
Services audit, Devereaux directed the
creation of official documents authenticating
the hiring of family members and the payment
of public funds. As part of the attempt
to cover-up the purported illegal acts,
the indictment charged that Devereaux
created and/or back-dated proposals and
employment contracts for both Lillian
and Candace Harper, payment vouchers,
and other official documents.
Deputy Attorney’s General Anthony
Picione and Robert Czepiel of the Division
of Criminal Justice - Special Prosecutions
Bureau coordinated the prosecution and
presented both cases to the State Grand
Jury. New Jersey State Police Det. Sgt.
Myles Cappiello, assigned to the Division
of Criminal Justice - Special Prosecutions
Bureau, coordinated the investigation
with State Investigator’s Kiersten
Pentony, Edward Augustyn, and Anthony
Luyber. Additional investigative assistance
was provided by the Division of Criminal
Justice Computer Analysis & Technology
Unit and state auditors from the Office
of Legislative Services.
The indictment, handed up to Mercer County
Superior Court Judge Maria Marinari Sypek,
will be assigned to the Mercer County
Superior Court for trial. Devereaux will
be issued a complaint summons to appear
for arraignment and bail. If convicted
on the current charges, Devereaux faces
over 15 years in state prison and more
than $60,000 in criminal fines and penalties.
The defendant is presumed innocent of
the charges unless or until proven guilty
in a court of law.
A copy of the State Grand Jury indictment
is available via the Division of Criminal
Justice Web site at www.njdcj.org.