Wife pleads guilty to helping husband steal $487,000 from New Jersey City University

Published: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 3:00 AM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

A former New Jersey City University administrator pleaded guilty to forgery yesterday in connection with helping her husband steal about $500,000 from the school?s Student Government Organization, officials said.

Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lourdes Santiago following a Dec. 1, 2010 indictment charging her and husband, Alex A. Moody, 51, in the theft, officials said.

Alex Moody pleaded guilty to theft and on May 3 he was sentenced to six years in state prison by Santiago, officials said. When sentenced on Sept. 9, Ruffin-Moody faces up to three years in state prison, officials said.

The pair had already pleaded guilty to related federal charges, leading to an 18-month sentence for Ruffin-Moody and a six-year sentence for Moody, officials said, adding that the state and federal sentences will run concurrently.

A investigation by State Police revealed that from May 2007 to July 2010 Ruffin-Moody issued 247 unauthorized checks to herself totaling about $487,000 that were drawn from SGO funds, officials said.

The pair forged the signature of the school?s associate dean of students on most of the checks, officials said, adding the scheme was discovered when a check bounced. The couple has been ordered to make full restitution, officials said.

So, they stole a half million dollars and get a total maximum combined sentence of 9 years? (Probably a lot less in the end.) Disgusting. And I will never understand the logic of concurrent sentences. Why even bother? Might as well say they're innocent of the secondary charges and stop trying to make people think that justice is being served.

And they must pay full restitution of the half million? 287 years to pay it off? Where's the money? Nine (probably more like six) years in the slammer doesn't seem too bad for a half million dollar cash payout. Our court systems bite the big one. And no one even thinks about the few hundred thousand that it costs to investigate them and pay for the prosecution and their imprisonment. What is WRONG with this city, county and country?

Shaunette Ruffin-Moody pleads guilty to helping husband steal over $486K from N.J. City University

Monday, 25 July 2011 15:39

She faces 3 years in state prison

Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody of Jersey City, a former office manager at New Jersey City University, pleaded guilty on Monday to helping her husband steal $486,578 from the school?s Student Government Organization.

Ruffin-Moody, 48, pleaded guilty to a forgery charge before state Superior Court Judge Lourdes I. Santiago in Jersey City. The state Division of Criminal Justice obtained a state grand jury indictment on Dec. 1 charging Ruffin-Moody and her husband, Alex A. Moody, 51, in connection with the theft. The state will recommend that Ruffin-Moody be sentenced to three years in state prison. She will be permanently barred from public employment as a result of the plea.

Alex Moody pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced on May 3 to six years in prison by Santiago. The couple must pay full restitution of $486,578.

Santiago scheduled Ruffin-Moody to be sentenced on Sept. 9. The prison sentences will run concurrently with federal prison sentences imposed on the couple on April 26 as a result of their guilty pleas to charges filed by the U.S. Attorney?s Office related to the theft. Ruffin-Moody was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, and Moody was sentenced to six years in federal prison.

The State Police arrested Ruffin-Moody and Moody on state charges in late August. They were subsequently charged by federal authorities.

Ruffin-Moody was office manager for the Student Government Organization (SGO) at New Jersey City University. The SGO is a non-profit organization funded by student activity fees. As part of her duties, Ruffin-Moody filled out payment vouchers to have SGO checks issued. The vouchers and checks had to be validated and signed by other university officials.

The State Police investigation revealed that from May 7, 2007 to July 8, 2010, Ruffin-Moody issued 247 unauthorized checks totaling about $486,578 from the SGO checking account made payable to herself, her husband or others. She or Moody forged the signature of the school?s associate dean of students on most of the checks. The unauthorized checks were discovered in July 2010, after several SGO checks bounced and Ruffin-Moody reported that the SGO had exceeded its budget. She was suspended without pay after the suspicious checks were identified.

Deputy Attorney General Perry Primavera prosecuted the case and took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The state charges stem from an investigation by Det. Sgt. Geoffrey P. Forker, Det. Mario DiRienzo and the State Police Official Corruption North Unit.

?TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Three are sentenced for stealing funds from NJCU's student government organization

Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 2:27 PM
By Charles Hack - The Jersey Journal

The husband of a former New Jersey City University office manager was sentenced to six years in prison today and ordered to pay back more than $500,000 in restitution for a scheme to steal fund from the college's student government organization.

Alexander Moody, 52, must also serve three years of probation after completing his sentence. He was considered the mastermind behind the endorsing and cashing of checks against the SGO bank account.

Shaunette Ruffin-Moody, 49, was sentenced to 18 months and Kimberly Jackson received three years probation for their roles in the scheme. Ruffin-Moody must also help in making restitution.

"My client accepted responsibility from the first day I met him and was willing to accept any sentence given by the judge so his wife and Ms. Jackson could receive a lenient sentence," said Christopher Patella, Moody's attorney. "He is fine with his sentence, however he is ecstatic that the judge was lenient with his wife."

Ruffin-Moody and Moody pleaded guilty to money laundering and theft charges in December, officials said. Jackson pleaded guilty in February to cashing 18 fraudulent checks with a total value of $36,200, officials said.

Judge William Martini disregarded the recommended guidelines of 4.5 years in sentencing Moody, citing the seriousness of the crime.

Patella told the judge at the sentencing that an addiction to cocaine and gambling spurred Moody to concoct the scheme.

Moody is paying $100 a month and Ruffin-Moody is paying $50 a month in restitution, it was said in court today. At that rate it will take them 287 years to make full restitution.

Husband of suspended NJCU office manager pleads guilty to second-degree theft by deception of student government funds with wife

The Jersey Journal
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

The husband of a suspended office manager at New Jersey City University pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing over $485,000 from the university's Student Government Organization, Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced.

Alex A. Moody, 51, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by deception before Superior Court Judge Lourdes I. Santiago in Hudson County.

The Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment on Dec. 1, 2010 charging Moody and his wife, Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48.

The state will recommend that Alex Moody be sentenced to seven years in state prison, officials said, noting he must also pay $486,578 in restitution under the plea agreement. The state charges against the wife are pending.

Judge Santiago scheduled Moody to be sentenced on May 13.

The New Jersey State Police arrested Shaunette Ruffin-Moody and Alex Moody on state charges late last August. They were subsequently charged by federal authorities.

Both defendants pleaded guilty in December to federal charges related to the theft, which were filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark. They are awaiting sentencing on the federal charges.

The state sentence imposed on Alex Moody will run concurrently with his federal sentence.

Ruffin-Moody was office manager for the Student Government Organization (SGO) at New Jersey City University in Jersey City. The SGO is a non-profit organization funded by student activity fees charged to students.

Ruffin-Moody filled out payment vouchers to have SGO checks issued. They had to be validated and signed by other university officials.

The State Police investigation revealed that between May 7, 2007 and July 8, 2010, Ruffin-Moody issued 247 unauthorized checks totaling approximately $486,578 from the SGO checking account made payable to herself, her husband or others.

Husband of former New Jersey City University office manager admits role in theft of more than $500,000 in student funds

December 17, 2010, 4:05 PM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

The husband of a former New Jersey City University administrator pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark this morning to being the ringleader in the theft of more than $500,000 from the school's Student Government Organization.

The guilty plea of Alex A. Moody, 52, of Jersey City, to the charges of theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering comes one week after his wife pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Moody, and his wife, Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, also of Jersey City, face up to 30 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Martini but the actual sentences are expected to be far shorter.

In court today Alex Moody answered, "Yes sir," when asked if he was the "organizer" and "manager" of the scheme in which he said 275 checks were taken and cashed by co-conspirators. The husband said co-conspirators were paid $100 to $150 for each check they cashed and the rest of the money was handed over to him.

When Ruffin-Moody pleaded guilty she agreed as part of the deal to give up her position as Student Government Organization office manager NJCU.

Both husband and wife have agreed to pay restitution off the money, which was taken between Jan. 4, 2007, and July 21, 2010.

The husband and wife have also been indicted on state charges of conspiracy, official misconduct, theft by deception and forgery. The indictment accuses them of forging the signature of the school's associate dean of students on checks, authorities said. They face up to 35 years in prison on the state charges.

The SGO is a nonprofit organization funded by student fees. Most of the SGO's roughly $600,000 budget funds athletics and other student activities.

The unauthorized checks were discovered in July 2010, after several SGO checks bounced and Ruffin-Moody reported that the SGO had exceeded its budget, authorities said. She was suspended without pay after the suspicious checks were identified.

The husband and wife are in custody and both appeared at their plea hearings wearing the green garb of Hudson County jail in Kearny. They were handcuffed and shackled.

Also charged with participating in the scheme are Arsenio Willey, 21; Curtis Shearer, 22, and Kimberly Jackson, 38. Willey, Shearer and Jackson have pleaded not guilty.

Ruffin-Moody will be sentenced by US District Judge William Martini on March 24 at 11 a.m. and her husband is scheduled to be sentenced a half hour later.

Guilty plea by former New Jersey City University administrator in theft of $500,000 from Student Government Organization account

Friday, December 10, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

NEWARK - A former New Jersey City University administrator has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $500,000 from the school's Student Government Organization and conspiring to hide the theft.

"She accepts full responsibility and hopes to be justly sentenced and rehabilitate herself," said attorney Alan Dexter Bowman, who represented Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, of Jersey City, at her plea hearing yesterday.

The Student Government Organization office manager was wearing the green garb of the Hudson County jail when she was led into court with her hands cuffed and feet shackled. She pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Moody faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Martini on March 24 at 11 a.m., but her actual sentence will likely be far shorter. She has agreed to give up her job at NJCU and to pay restitution.

Her husband, Alex A. Moody, 51, also of Jersey City, faces the same charges and had been expected to resolve his case yesterday as well, but his hearing has been postponed to Dec. 17.

"There are a couple of issues we are working out," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Cook about the Alex Moody case.

Ruffin-Moody was accused of writing 219 unauthorized checks to herself, her husband, and three other Jersey City residents who were also charged: Arsenio Willey, 21; Curtis Shearer, 22, and Kimberly Jackson, 38. Willey, Shearer and Jackson have pleaded not guilty.

The Moodys have also been indicted on state charges of conspiracy, official misconduct and theft by deception and forgery, according to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. The indictment says the defendants forged the signature of the school's associate dean of students on most of the checks, authorities said. They face up to 35 years on the state charges.

The SGO is a nonprofit organization funded by student fees. Most of the SGO's roughly $600,000 budget funds athletics and other student activities.

The unauthorized checks were discovered in July 2010, after several SGO checks bounced and Ruffin-Moody reported that the SGO had exceeded its budget, authorities said. She was suspended without pay after the suspicious checks were identified.

rsey City couple indicted in $485,000 theft from New Jersey City University, where wife worked as office manager for Student Government Organization
Thursday, December 02, 2010
By RON ZEITLINGER
DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

A suspended New Jersey City University office manager and her husband were indicted yesterday on charges they stole approximately $485,000 in student funds, the state Attorney General's Office announced.


Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, and Alex A. Moody, 51, of Jersey City, were indicted on charges of conspiracy, official misconduct and theft by deception, all in the second degree, and forgery, a third-degree crime.

The pair has also been indicted on federal charges in the theft and have pleaded not guilty.

Ruffin-Moody, who was arrested on Aug. 27, and her husband, who was charged on Aug. 30, are accused of stealing funds from the school's Student Government Organization.

The state indictment says that between May 7, 2007 and July 8, 2010, Ruffin-Moody, who was office manager for the SGO, issued 247 unauthorized checks totaling approximately $485,000 from the SGO checking account made payable to herself, her husband or others.

The defendants forged the signature of the school's associate dean of students on most of the checks, authorities said.

The SGO is a nonprofit organization funded by student activity fees charged to students. The annual SGO budget is roughly $600,000. The SGO budget funds Ruffin-Moody's salary and benefits, but most of the budget is used to fund athletics and other student activities.

The unauthorized checks were discovered in July 2010, after several SGO checks bounced and Ruffin-Moody reported that the SGO had exceeded its budget, authorities said. She was suspended without pay from her job as office manager after the suspicious checks were identified.

Ruffin-Moody and her husband face maximum sentences of 35 years in prison and $465,000 in fines.

The federal indictment accused Ruffin-Moody and her husband of writing the unauthorized checks to themselves and Arsenio Willey, 21, Curtis Shearer, 22, and Kimberly Jackson, 38. They have pleaded not guilty.

Alan Dexter Bowman, who is representing Ruffin-Moody in the federal case, did not return phone calls.

Christopher Patella, who is representing Alexander Moody in the federal case, said yesterday he expected official misconduct charges against Alexander Moody to be thrown out in court since his client wasn't an employee of the university. He declined to comment further.

New Jersey City University official pleads not guilty to stealing $420K from student government

Thursday, October 14, 2010, 5:00 PM
Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal


Shaunette P. Ruffin-Moody, 48, of Jersey City.

NEWARK -- A suspended New Jersey City University office manager pleaded not guilty today to federal charges that she conspired to steal more than $420,000 from the school's Student Government Organization, officials said.

Shaunette Ruffin-Moody, 48, of Jersey City appeared before U.S. District Judge William Martini, who set a tentative trial date for Nov. 29, officials said.

U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi had set Ruffin-Moody's bail at $100,000 last month, but Ruffin-Moody is still being held pending related state charges.

The university suspended Ruffin-Moody from her position as office manager of the SGO without pay July 29 after checks written from that account bounced.

She is accused of writing 219 unauthorized checks to herself, her husband, Lawrence Moody, 51, and three other Jersey City residents who were also charged: Arsenio Willey, 21; Curtis Shearer, 22, and Kimberly Jackson, 38.

The state Attorney General's Office filed charges against Ruffin-Moody Aug. 27 and the U.S. Attorney's Office added charges last month. The state charged both Ruffin-Moody and Moody with second-degree theft by deception for allegedly stealing more than $167,000 from the SGO account.

Following those charges, a federal grand jury delivered a three-count indictment against Ruffin-Moody and her husband alleging the couple stole more than $420,000.

When Ruffin-Moody's bail was set, her attorney, Alan Dexter Bowman, accused the state and federal governments of "fishiness" for not combining their cases, which are centered around the same facts.

Her husband pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and aiding and abetting of the theft of funds last week and his trial is set for Nov. 9. At that time a court clerk said his arraignment was separated from Ruffin-Moody's because she has a restraining order against her husband, who has not been released on bail.

Willey, Shearer and Jackson, who all pleaded not guilty, were released on $100,000 bail last month.

The operating budget of the SGO is $600,000 and is funded almost entirely from student fees. University officials have said Ruffin-Moody also wrote checks from an SGO contingency fund. The amount of that account has not been revealed.

Roughly a third of the SGO budget goes to university athletics. It also is used to compensate SGO officers' tuition fees and support roughly 35 student organizations as well as art and cultural events.

Quote:

Let her commit suicide, let's even assist her. She will be a financial burden to the community in prison........and we'll still get some financial restitution when we sell off her assets.

Corruption at NJCU
Charges brought against New Jersey City University employee for $420,000 theft

By Felix Alarcon
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 07:09

Former Student Government Organization office manager Shaunette Ruffin-Moody, a long time New Jersey City University employee, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of stealing more than $420,000 from the organization.

The charges were for allegedly stealing more than $167,000 of student money, over the course of 2008 and 2009 school years until a further probe lead to the discovery of the theft going as far back as 2007 and in the amount of $420,000.
Ruffin-Moody, 48, of Jersey City, was said to be on suicide watch last week as she awaited release on $150,000 bail.
Ruffin-Moody was arrested on August 27, after an

investigation by the state attorney general?s office. Her Husband, Alex Moody, 51, also of Jersey City was arrested several days later and also charged with second degree theft by deception.

In an e-mail distributed to the NJCU students and staff, President Carlos Hernandez said, ?I would like to remind all of us that we have a responsibility to foster and maintain the public?s confidence that we are carrying out our duties with integrity and in a manner consistent with law. I cannot over emphasize the importance of financial integrity in a public institution. Public funds entrusted to the use of University employees must be used only for the public purposes intended. The misuse of a position at a State university to misappropriate public funds for personal gain is a violation of State conflicts of interest standards as well as our obligation to the public and this University community.?

Ruffin-Moody wasn?t present at the Jersey City Court House arraignment, however participated via TV link, and pleaded not guilty, her attorney Alan D. Bowman did not attend.
As SGO office manager, Ruffin-Moody was responsible for superintending approximately $600,000 ? money derived from student activity fees. This money is used to fund clubs, organizations, and various student functions and events.

The attorney generals complaint alleged that Ruffin-Moody appropriated approximately $420,000 of this money by writing almost 237 checks to her husband and herself.
?I am disappointed and shocked [about the alleged theft from the SGO]. She?s been here since 2002 and she was trusted,? said John Melendez, Vice President for student affairs.

Melendez was scheduled to discuss this issue further at a meeting on campus, slated for Friday, September 3rd.
The Gothic Times contacted Ruffin-Moody?s attorney Bowman but he declined to respond to any questions.

At the arraignment on August 30, 2010, Superior Court Judge Richard Nieto said the conviction on the charge of second degree theft by deceit can be up to ten years in person and $150,000 fine.

At the time of this writing Moody had yet not posted the $150,000 bond for her release