MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A longtime New Jersey Transit employee has been charged in connection with a multi-year scheme involving the unauthorized resale of taxpayer-funded cellphones, state officials announced.
Peejay Manila, 37, of Hackensack, is facing two counts of theft (second and third degree) and one count of receiving stolen property (third degree). The charges stem from an investigation led by the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability’s (OPIA) Corruption Bureau, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
From November 2020 through April 2025, Manila allegedly exploited his role as an authorized NJ Transit purchaser to acquire hundreds of iPhones and other devices—not for agency use, but for resale to buy-back companies, generating over $700,000 in personal profit.
According to the criminal complaint, about 850 phones were bought using NJ Transit funds and then sold by Manila through trade-in platforms. Despite being authorized to purchase equipment for agency employees, he allegedly misused that authority for personal gain.
On May 8, 2025, investigators executed search warrants at Manila’s Hackensack home, workplace, and vehicle. At his apartment, authorities found 20 phones, including 11 brand-new and unopened, with nine already packaged for shipment to a resale company. Most of the devices were confirmed to have been ordered via NJ Transit accounts under Manila’s credentials.
Manila joined NJ Transit in December 2019 and was responsible for purchasing tech equipment for operational needs.
If convicted, second-degree theft in New Jersey can result in 5 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry penalties of 3 to 5 years and up to $15,000 in fines.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Rich Bobbe and Krysta Chotkowski, under the direction of OPIA’s Corruption Bureau.
All charges are allegations, and Manila is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.