Former Summit Official Charged With Theft By Deception

SUMMIT, NJ — The Union City Prosecutor's Office charged on Thursday that a former Summit city official allegedly created two fake companies and submitted invoices to the city in order to pocket more than $74,000.

Former Summit Department of Community Programs Assistant Director James Colucci Jr., who resigned in March, was charged with three counts related to theft, officials said on Friday. Colucci, 50, was charged with two counts of third-degree theft by deception via submitting fraudulent invoices, and one count of third-degree theft by deception via assuming a false identity, said Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo.

Colucci began working in the department as a program supervisor on Aug. 11, 2016 and was promoted to assistant director on July 1, 2018, said Summit spokeswoman Amy Cairns. Staffers in the city's Finance Department noticed irregularities in the Cornog Fieldhouse project and reported them to the Summit police, who began investigating. The Union County Prosecutor's Office was notified and began a probe.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli, who is prosecuting the case, a joint investigation by the prosecutor's Special Prosecutions Unit and the Summit police revealed that Colucci allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices from December of 2017 through February of 2019. Spagnoli said he allegedly assumed a false identity to file fraudulent paperwork with the city.

After the city placed Colucci on unpaid leave in February, he resigned on March 4, Cairns said.

Summit Mayor Nora Radest said, "We are thankful to the Summit Police Department and Union County Prosecutor's Office for its diligence in pursuing the criminal investigation."

Colucci is expected to appear in court to answer the charges on Jan. 24, the prosecutor's office said. The third-degree crimes are commonly punishable by state prison terms of 3 to 5 years.

The charges are accusations and the accused is proved innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Colucci's lawyer was away on Friday and did not return a message left for him.

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