A former Department of Children and Families employee pleaded guilty on May 4 to theft by deception after misrepresenting her role as a caseworker and accepting illegal payments, according to an announcement from Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
Susaida Nazario, 44, of Trenton, entered her plea before Criminal Presiding Judge Peter E. Warshaw at Mercer County Superior Court. Under a plea agreement with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, Nazario will forfeit all public employment, be permanently disqualified from holding any public office or job in New Jersey, pay restitution, and face a recommended sentence including probation with a condition of serving 180 days in county jail. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17.
Nazario was indicted on March 6, 2025 on charges related to soliciting and accepting illegal payments between January and August 2021 while employed as a technical assistant for the Department’s Information Technology Division. Investigators found that she falsely claimed to be a caseworker to an individual involved with the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCPP), offering assistance—including confidential information—in exchange for money. The department keeps such records confidential by law to protect children’s safety.
Attorney General Davenport said: “The defendant held herself out to be a caseworker for the Department of Children and Families, pretending she could provide case assistance and offering to reveal sensitive, confidential information in exchange for money. Working in public service is an honor and a privilege. Anyone who uses it as a chance to make ill-gotten side income is not fit to serve the people of New Jersey.”
Deputy Attorneys General Robert J. Serrano and Randolph Mershon prosecuted the case for the Corruption Bureau within OPIA.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin oversees statewide enforcement efforts aimed at protecting residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties according to the official website. The office also provides state legal representation, law enforcement oversight, crime lab support, victim advocacy services, consumer protection initiatives, regulation enforcement powers under its statutory mandate throughout New Jersey.
