NJ Watchdog: Three-fourths of NJ sheriffs double-dip

For the past quarter century, Armando Fontoura has been looting a New Jersey state pension fund. But it won’t do any good to call the cops.

Fontoura is sheriff of Essex County. A dean among double-dippers, he draws $207,289 a year from public coffers – $144,896 in salary plus $62,393 from pension as a retiree of his own office.

Today is the 25th anniversary of Fontoura’s faux retirement. So far, he has collected $1.35 million in retirement cash without ever giving up his full-time county paycheck.

On Friday, Aug. 31, 1990, Fontoura retired as county undersheriff at age 47. The following Monday, he returned to work at Essex County with the same salary and duties, but a different title – sheriff’s officer chief. One year later, he took charge as sheriff, a post he’s held ever since.

"Does it look bad? Yes," admitted Fontoura. "No question about it, it looks bad. Was it legal? Yes."
Worse for taxpayers, three-fourths of New Jersey’s county sheriffs – plus hundreds of other public officials – are taking advantage of pension loopholes to collect dual incomes.

A New Jersey Watchdog investigation found the sheriffs in 16 of the state’s 21 counties are double-dippers. In addition, the sheriffs also employ 37 undersheriffs who returned to work after retiring as local, county or state law enforcement officials at relatively young ages.

In total, the 53 officers collect nearly $10 million a year from public coffers – $5.7 million in salaries plus $4.1 million in retirement pay – according to payroll and pension records.

The complete story – along with New Jersey Watchdog’s list of double-dipping sheriffs and undersheriffs – is online at http://watchdog.org/235267/sheriffs-double-dip/.

NJ WATCHDOG: 80 NJ State Police retirees return to NJ double-dip

EIGHTY STATE POLICE RETIREES BACK ON NJ PAYROLL; DOUBLE-DIPPERS GET $12.8M A YEAR IN PENSIONS & SALARIES

New Jersey State Lottery deputy director Duane Daniels hit a jackpot when he retired as a State Police captain at age 50.

Daniels started collecting an $88,296 annual pension in October 2009. That same month, he was hired as the lottery's head of security at a $90,000 salary. For Daniels, his annual payout increased to $178,296.

In this game, taxpayers don't stand a chance. The rules are rigged in favor of Daniels and scores of other retirees. While mid-career retirements drain millions from state pension funds that face a $41.7 billion shortfall, double-dipping adds insult to voters who were promised reform.

A New Jersey Watchdog investigation found 80 State Police retirees are back on the state payroll as full-time employees. Collectively, they receive $12.8 million a year – nearly $7 million in salaries plus $5.8 million from pensions. Of the 80 "retired" troopers:

· Twenty-two are re-employed by the State Police; 19 as investigators. They draw both State Police pensions and paychecks.
· Twenty-seven work as investigators elsewhere within the Department of Law & Public Safety, the agency in charge of the State Police. Twenty are assigned to the Division of Criminal Justice, five are under the Division of Law, and the Division of Consumer Affairs and Office of Attorney General each employ one.
· Thirty-one State Police retirees work at other state agencies, including the State Comptroller, Treasury, Education, Insurance & Banking, Secretary of State, Motor Vehicle Commission, State Parole Board, Human Services, Health and Senior Services, Information Technology and Office of Homeland Security.

For the complete story and full list, go to http://newjersey.watchdog.org.