South Plainfield Rec Director Admits To Stealing $75K

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ — The former recreation director for the borough of South Plainfield pleaded guilty Monday to stealing more than $75,000 from the South Plainfield Recreation Department.

Kevin Hughes, 49, of North Plainfield, pleaded guilty this Monday, July 1 in New Brunswick Superior Court to one count of second-degree theft by unlawful taking.

Hughes was charged following an investigation by Detective Craig Magnani of the South Plainfield Police Department and Detective Christopher Pennisi of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

They determined that between July 2013 and February 2019, Hughes collected recreational sports fees for the South Plainfield Recreation Department in excess of $75,000. He then used the funds for his own personal use.

Hughes held the position of director for the South Plainfield Recreation Department since August 1, 2006; he previously was the assistant director since June 1, 2005. He resigned from his position as recreation director on February 20, 2019.

He will be sentenced to a term of three years in a New Jersey State prison and must pay full restitution in the amount of $80,201, according to the terms of a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Lorraine Sult.

In addition, Hughes will be required to forfeit his public employment and is banned from any future public employment.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in New Brunswick on August 30, before Superior Court Judge Pedro J. Jimenez Jr.

Hughes is only the latest adult in the state of New Jersey to be arrested and charged with stealing from youth sports:

In Woodbridge, a school secretary at Woodbridge High School was arrested this winter and charged with stealing money from the boys' soccer team. Police say that for more than a year, more than $6,000 received from student fundraisers, donations and club dues was electronically transferred from the boys' soccer team account into Stacey Castro's personal checking account. Read more: School Secretary Stole From Woodbridge Boys' Soccer Team: Police

In Toms River, a woman who was the president of the Pine Beach Elementary PTO was charged earlier this March with stealing more than $14,000 from the PTO's bank account. Jennifer Maguire of Beachwood made repeated cash withdrawals from the PTO account, which just happened to coincide with deposits into her personal checking account, the Ocean County prosecutor said. Maguire was arrested in early March and charged with theft. Read more: Former Pine Beach Elementary PTO Pres. Stole $14K In Funds, OCPO Says

And in tony Rumson, a 57-year-old Rumson dad who oversaw the Rumson football booster club was recently accused of stealing more than $25,000 from the football booster club between April 2017 and July 2018. Read more: Ex-Head Of Rumson-Fair Haven Touchdown Club Charged With Theft

The initial arrest of Kevin Hughes: South Plainfield Rec Director Arrested, Charged With Stealing