NEW BRUNSWICK – An Edison woman has been placed on probationary terms after admitting she stole funds that were raised for school children.
Mary Sue Fisco, a 61-year-old teacher at Colonia High School, was placed on probation for two years after she pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 to theft for taking $1,771 in various amounts from Project Graduation, a fundraising program that finances an after graduation party for seniors at Colonia High School in Woodbridge.
Fisco has repaid the $1,771, but no longer works as a teacher and is barred from holding any public job in New Jersey, according to a joint statement released Feb. 24 by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey, Director Robert Hubner of the Woodbridge Police Department and Chief Craig Young of the Middlesex Borough Police Department.
Fisco was sentenced on Feb. 24 in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Diane Pincus after an investigation determined Fisco, who oversaw Project Graduation, took the money to purchase personal items, including a shed for her son’s home and a flat screen television, according to the statement.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said police and school officials remain vigilant in uncovering the theft of funds that are set aside for student activities and events.
“Charitable donations are, of course, to be highly encouraged. Citizens who donate should always demand an accounting of where the funds are spent in an effort to combat fraud and abuse. Where such fiscal corruption is suspected, the police should be contacted as soon as possible and provided with available documentation. Law enforcement is always most effective when there is active cooperation with the public,” he said.