A former code enforcement officer has been sentenced to prison in the theft of $75,000 from the city that employed her.
Michelle Calderon, 39, of Egg Harbor Township, received a five-year sentence on Tuesday, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. She previously pleaded guilty to the second-degree charge of theft by failure to make lawful disposition of entrusted property.
Calderon, the former code enforcement officer of Ventnor City, was arrested and charged with the offense in August 2023.
Between 2021 and 2023, Calderon accepted cash payments for city permits and pocketed the money, authorities said. She also altered balance sheets in an effort to cover up the theft, prosecutors said.
During a search of her home, detectives found various high-end items that she purchased with the stolen cash, officials said.
As part of her plea agreement, Calderon has paid $50,000 in restitution to Ventnor City. She will have to pay the remaining $25,000 upon her release.
She also forfeited the items purchased with the stolen money and any future public employment as part of the agreement.
Stories by Nicolas Fernandes
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.