A Jersey City housing supervisor has been charged with accepting a $1,500 bribe in exchange for a short-term rental permit, Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Jessica Barreto, 48, of Wallington, is charged with computer criminal activity, forgery (defraud), and falsifying/tampering with records, Mello said in a statement.
She was arrested on MLK Jr. Drive and released pending her first court appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, July 16th.
Barreto is accused of accepting a $1,500 cash payment for personal gain in return for the issuance of a short-term rental permit.
“We have absolutely no tolerance for the behavior described in the allegations against this employee. The first responsibility of a public servant is to uphold the public’s trust, and these allegations are a complete violation of that trust,” said Jersey City spokesman Nathaniel Styer.
“Once the allegations were identified, they were immediately referred to JCPD – who moved expeditiously to investigate and ensure all appropriate actions were taken. When city employees are charged with crimes, they are immediately suspended without pay pending the resolution of the criminal matte and we plan to fully cooperate.”
Barreto was hired in December 2018 and is currently an office supervisor in the Office of Housing Preservation.
