Division Of Criminal Justice
Gregory A. Paw, Director

For Further Information Contact:
Peter Aseltine
Attorney General’s Office
609.292.4791

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TWO FORMER HOUSING AUTHORITY EMPLOYEES INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING THOUSANDS FROM RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
$91,000 Stolen from Old Bridge Housing Authority Programs

TRENTON – Attorney General Zulima V. Farber and Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that two former administrators of the Old Bridge Township Housing Authority were indicted today on theft and official misconduct charges for stealing thousands of dollars from two publicly funded rental assistance programs.

According to Director Paw, Frances Portlock, 50, of Mays Landing, the former director of operations for the South Amboy Housing Authority, and Colleen Middleton, 33, of Old Bridge, the former Section Eight coordinator for the Old Bridge Township Housing Authority, were each charged in separate indictments with official misconduct, a second-degree crime, and theft by unlawful taking. Portlock oversaw the Old Bridge rental assistance programs because the Old Bridge authority contracted with the South Amboy authority to run the programs. Portlock supervised Middleton in Old Bridge.

Portlock was charged with third-degree theft for allegedly stealing approximately $13,400 between August 2002 and December 2005 from the HOPE Loan Program, a municipally funded program that provided financial assistance to Old Bridge residents threatened with eviction. Middleton was charged with second-degree theft for allegedly stealing approximately $77,570 between January 2002 and March 2006, including about $47,900 from the HOPE program and about $29,670 from the federally funded Section Eight rental assistance program.

“These defendants allegedly used their public offices to steal from programs intended to house low-income families or help people stay in their homes in a time of financial crisis,” said Attorney General Farber. “This is unconscionable. We are stepping up our efforts to investigate and prosecute public corruption in whatever form it takes.”

“We allege that these two housing authority employees issued check after check to themselves against the assistance programs they administered,” said Criminal Justice Director Paw. “Our investigation revealed no less than 116 checks that went to Ms. Middleton, and 15 checks that went to Ms. Portlock.”

Portlock’s responsibilities included reviewing and approving checks to be paid out of the rental assistance program accounts. Checks to recipients of program funds were stamped with the signatures of housing officials. In connection with their official duties, both Middleton and Portlock had access to checks from the accounts and the signature stamps. The checks were made out in the names of the defendants or to “cash.”

Directors of both housing authorities alerted the Old Bridge Police Department in March after finding evidence that funds had been misappropriated. The Old Bridge Police ultimately referred the case to the Division of Criminal Justice.

Portlock resigned in December to take a job as executive director of the Vineland Housing Authority. Middleton was terminated from her job at the Old Bridge Township Housing Authority on March 9.

The indictments were handed up to Superior Court Judge Neil H. Shuster in Mercer County. Crimes of the second degree carry sentences of up to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000, while crimes of the third degree carry sentences of up to 5 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case was presented to the state grand jury by Deputy Attorney General Perry Primavera. The investigation was conducted by State Investigator Dino Dettorre of the Division of Criminal Justice and Detective Thomas Noble of the Old Bridge Police Department, with assistance from the Old Bridge Township Housing Authority and the South Amboy Housing Authority.

Copies of the indictments are linked to this press release at www.nj.gov/oag/.

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