Former Jersey City Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas, who also served as the acting executive director of the now defunct Jersey City Employment and Training Program, received a two-month prison sentence yesterday for embezzlement and fraud.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Sudhan Thomas, 48, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty in June 2023 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to embezzling funds from JCETP, an organization that received federal funds, and wire fraud for embezzling money from his 2016 Jersey City BOE campaign.
Martini issued the sentence yesterday, which is two months concurrently, along with two years supervised release and $123,008 in restitution, according to court documents. The other 24 counts were dismissed on a government motion.
After pleading guilty, Thomas was scheduled to be sentenced on November 1st, then December 5th, followed by March 5th, then May 21st, until the federal court proceeding finally happened yesterday.
Using his access to JCETP funds and control of JCETP’s bank accounts, from March 2019 through July 2019, Thomas embezzled more than $45,000 from JCETP, as federal prosecutors charged in January 2020.
Thomas caused checks to be drawn from JCETP accounts that were made payable to others, but ultimately received by Thomas or used to pay his debts and expenses.
He also embezzled JCETP funds by issuing checks made out to cash that Thomas either cashed himself or used to obtain bank checks that he made payable to Next Glocal, an entity for which Thomas was a director, which were deposited into a bank account for his personal use.
Thomas ran for and was elected to a seat on the Jersey City BOE in 2016, ultimately serving as vice president and then president.
From September 2016 to November 2016, Thomas collected campaign contributions and caused them to be deposited into a bank account opened for the 2016 campaign that he controlled.
Under the guise of collecting repayments for loans to the campaign or reimbursement for other purported campaign-related expenses, Thomas embezzled more than $8,000 from his 2016 campaign for his own personal use.
By November 2020, Thomas faced a 26-count indictment alleging an elaborate embezzlement, money laundering, and fraud scheme involving both JCETP and the Jersey City BOE.
He still has pending charges from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, who has accused him of taking $35,000 in cash bribes for a council campaign from a cooperating witness in exchange for being promised a BOE contract.
That case has barely moved, to the dismay of Superior Court Judge Peter Tober, who told the AG’s office in November that they need to get things moving, per Morristown Green.
Back in January 2018, only HCV reported that Thomas had opened a new account with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, though said the notion he was prepping for a council run was “fake news.”
The embezzlement charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a maximum fine of up to $250,000.
Thomas was charged by indictment in November 2020 with Paul Appel, 81, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, who is an attorney and who also served as treasurer for Thomas’ 2016 campaign.
HCV first reported that a plea deal on the federal charges was in the works back in March 2023.
That is not fucking justice. It took over 4 years for you worthless pieces of shit to finally get a confession out of him leaving him free to lie and steal from who knows how many people. I’m one of the ones he stole from while you dragged your feet and did absolutely nothing to that lying, narcissistic sack of shit. He stole over $35,000 from me. I’m a single mother of 2 and was caring for my ailing mother who recently passed this March 27th. He left me in financial ruin based off of lies and manipulation. He should have been put behind bars in 2020 when this all started. He stole from me in 2022. I should sue your worthless fucking city for the pain and suffering I’ve had to endure from you allowing him to be free.
Biggest con artist ever seen on earth.
He looted 30000 dollars from me.