NEW JERSEY — A suspended employee of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) has been charged with multiple offenses after allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for confidential information and deceptive assistance in ongoing DCF cases. This announcement was made by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA).
Susaida Nazario, 44, of Trenton, was charged on March 25, 2025, with five criminal counts stemming from a corruption investigation conducted by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau. The charges include:
Acceptance or Receipt of an Unlawful Benefit by a Public Servant for Official Behavior (2nd degree)
Theft by Deception (3rd degree)
Official Misconduct (two counts, 2nd degree)
Pattern of Official Misconduct (2nd degree)
Nazario, who worked as a technical assistant in the DCF Information Technology Division in Trenton from January 2021 to October 2023, is accused of soliciting and receiving payments from two individuals involved in open cases with the Division of Child Protection & Permanency. In return, she allegedly provided unauthorized access to sensitive case files and misrepresented her authority.
Investigators revealed that, starting in March 2021, Nazario received over $800 from one individual in exchange for her help with their case. She falsely claimed to be a DCF caseworker and promised to connect the individual with additional employees who could assist—employees who were, in fact, fictitious identities created by her. Nazario allegedly used multiple phone numbers to impersonate these fictional coworkers, communicating via text and voice.
In a separate incident, Nazario reportedly developed a personal relationship with another individual involved in a DCF matter. Investigators allege she accepted money and property from this person, offering assurances of a favorable outcome and disclosing confidential DCF case information.
The charges stem from a pattern of deception and abuse of official position. If convicted, Nazario faces penalties that include five to ten years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000 for each second-degree charge. Third-degree charges carry penalties of three to five years in prison and fines of up to $15,000.
The prosecution is being led by Deputy Attorneys General Laura Croce and Diana Bibb, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Co-Directors Jeff Manis and Eric Gibson, and OPIA Director Thomas Eicher.
All charges are currently accusations, and Nazario is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
