A former employee of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) Information Technology Division has been indicted for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for leaking confidential case information. The announcement was made by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
Susaida Nazario, 44, of Trenton, faces criminal charges after a state grand jury found evidence that she solicited and received illegal payments between January 2021 and August 2021 while working as a technical assistant at DCF’s IT Division. According to authorities, Nazario misrepresented herself as a DCF caseworker to an individual involved in a matter with the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCPP). She is accused of seeking and receiving monetary payments from this person in exchange for assistance with their DCPP case, including offering to disclose confidential information.
Attorney General Davenport stated, “Protecting children is one of my top priorities, and it is essential that those entrusted with protecting our children uphold the trust we place in them. DCF records are kept confidential by law to protect the life, safety, and welfare of children. Illegally disclosing that information, and putting vulnerable children at risk for personal gain, is unconscionable.”
Eric L. Gibson, Executive Director of OPIA, said, “The public rightfully expects that State employees with access to sensitive information about children will follow the law, perform their jobs with integrity, and act responsibly. Instead, in this case, the defendant allegedly misused her access for her own benefit.”
Nazario faces four counts: bribery in official and political matters (second degree), acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior (second degree), official misconduct (second degree), and theft by deception (third degree). Second-degree charges can result in five to ten years in prison and fines up to $150,000; third-degree charges carry three to five years’ imprisonment and fines up to $15,000.
The prosecution team includes Deputy Attorneys General Robert J. Serrano and Randolph Mershon under the supervision of Deputy Corruption Bureau Chief Laura Croce, Bureau Director Jeffrey J. Manis, and OPIA Executive Director Gibson. Defense counsel is Matthew Mordas.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s office holds statewide authority to enforce laws across all counties and municipalities in New Jersey according to its official website. Its responsibilities include protecting residents’ lives and property through legal enforcement standards and oversight, providing services such as law enforcement oversight, crime lab support, victim advocacy programs and consumer protection initiatives. The agency plays a central role in maintaining justice and public safety throughout New Jersey by prosecuting offenses under its statutory mandate.
