Brick Housing Authority Director Should Resign Now, Mayor Says

BRICK, NJ -- A hearing on the status of Brick Housing Authority Director Alesia Watson, who pleaded guilty Monday to embezzlement charges, has been scheduled for Friday, officials said Tuesday night.

But Brick Township Mayor John Ducey had harsh words for Watson at Tuesday's Township Council meeting.

"I'm hoping she resigns immediately," Ducey said at the end of thecouncil meeting. "It disgusts me when someone abuses the public trust."

Watson, 54, of Galloway, pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to one count of embezzling federal funds received from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that were administered by the Ocean City Housing Authority, where she was the executive director.

Both agencies administer affordable housing programs for low-income seniors and the disabled in their respective towns.

According to a report in the Brick Shorebeat, Watson was serving as a part-time executive director for both housing authorities under an agreement approved by both agencies. Her role with the Brick Housing Authority was not mentioned in the court documents. She earned $95,830 in 2016, the report said.

A news release from Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick's office said Watson had access to two credit cards maintained by the Ocean City Housing Authority and from December 2013 through March 2015, Watson purchased 69 MasterCard gift cards using the OCHA credit cards. She then used the gift cards for personal expenses not associated with OCHA or gave them to friends and family members, the release said.

Watson then used federal funds received from HUD and administered by OCHA to pay the credit card bills associated with the purchase of the gift cards, Fitzpatrick's office said.

The Shorebeat report said Watson had committed financial crimes while she was younger that had previously cost her the job as executive director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

Ducey said the Brick Housing Authority has accountants looking at its book to determine whether Watson committed any malfeasance in Brick.

"She took from the vulnerable," Ducey said. "I hope she resigns before the hearing."

Ron Canfield, an independent candidate running for mayor in Brick, said the situation could and should have been avoided from the start.

"When (Watson) was first appointed, the board was fully aware of her past of credit card fraud (and) forgery, among other similar charges," Canfield wrote in comments distributed to several news outlets. "She claimed these actions were in her youth and she was a new person now, however, her recent confession shows that she was still embezzling from Ocean City at this point."

"The executive director’s past charges were known at the time of her consideration and nomination to this position, and she was still approved," Canfield wrote. "It is time that the Housing Authority is subject to an audit by a third party to make sure that there is nothing else going on that we are unaware of. I also would suggest that each person is audited to make sure they fit the criteria outlined in the job description for the position they hold to prevent an issue like this from happening again."

Watson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 15. According to the plea agreement, the loss associated with the embezzlement was more than $6,500 but less than $15,000. She faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine or up to twice the amount of gain or loss, the news release said.

Photo via Ocean City Housing Authority