Former Penns Grove Councilman Carl Washington, Jr. admitted today that he falsified his income to get a deal on his rent in a federally-subsidized public housing, and misdirected public funds from a litter cleanup program to himself.
Washington’s plea deal with prosecutors includes probation, 100 hours of community service, and an $8,200 fine, ending a corruption probe that began in December 2019. He’ll also agree to a lifetime ban on public office and employment.
“This case is a clear example of how public corruption can drain taxpayer resources and divert public funding from its intended purposes of assisting those in need and improving our communities,” Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “As my office works in tandem with other state agencies to bring down the cost of living for New Jerseyans, identifying and disrupting schemes that defraud the government of publicly funded benefits will be an important element of our efforts.”
As Penns Grove’s local Clean Communities Program coordinator, Washington altered documents and issued fake checks that went to organizations controlled by allies. Then Washington, along with his nephew, Lavar Ledbetter, had his friends cash the checks and share the money with them.
It was during that investigation that the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability learned of his rent scam. He was paying just $92 per month for the first part of 2017, and $80 a month through 2018. But Washington had income from two other jobs that, if reported, would have increased his rent to $1,400 per month.
This is the first guilty plea obtained by the OPIA since Davenport took office on Tuesday afternoon.
