Township’s public works superintendent allegedly took nearly $4,000 from Kinnelon Borough in Morris County
By: Molly Petrilla
PLAINSBORO The township’s Public Works superintendent has been charged with stealing $3,926.03 from his previous employer an allegation that could affect his employment in Plainsboro if he is found guilty.
The Morris County prosecutor and Kinnelon Borough police chief filed criminal complaints against Jeffrey LaPooh, 42, of Millstone on Dec. 6, claiming that he stole money from Kinnelon Borough between Nov. 1, 2005 and April 30, 2006.
During that time, he was acting as superintendent of public works in the borough.
According to the complaint, Mr. LaPooh asked the borough to reimburse him for work equipment he never actually purchased. The charges state that he also bought himself various pieces of personal equipment using the township’s account.
According to a published report, Mr. LaPooh created a fake invoice in the hope of getting reimbursed for Christmas gifts he bought his family and business associates in 2005, and used borough funds to purchase sump pumps and a hose to remove water from his basement.
The report also claims that in January, Mr. LaPooh asked to be reimbursed for $2,520 worth of snow-plow blade cutting edges, but actually used the money to pay personal credit card bills.
For his alleged offenses, Mr. LaPooh is charged with a second-degree count of official misconduct, a third-degree count of theft and a fourth-degree count of falsifying or tampering with records.
All three charges arose from an investigation conducted by the Kinnelon police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office neither of which returned calls for comment.
Plainsboro Township Administrator Robert Sheehan refused to comment on the issue because it is a personnel-related matter.
According to state law, a person charged with official misconduct faces a maximum of 10 years in state prison and, if convicted, is prohibited from holding a public or government job.