Middlesex Sheriff's Officer charged with 3rd degree theft and insurance fraud.

In a September 30, 2018 Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request to Middlesex County, Libertarians for Transparent Government, a non-profit I serve as executive director, sought a criminal complaint filed against a County Sheriff's Officer who we heard had been recently charged.  In its response, the County provided an unsigned, two-count criminal complaint filed by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office charging the 41-year-old officer with 3rd degree theft by deception and 3rd degree insurance fraud.

The officer at issue is Miguel A. Figueroa who has worked for the Middlesex Sheriff's Department since June 30, 2008 at a present annual salary of $96,205.  According to an October 2, 2018 OPRA response from Deputy Middlesex County Counsel Jeanne-Marie Scollo, Figueroa remains employed by the Department.

According to the complaint, Figueroa, who resides in North Brunswick, "creat[ed] or reinforc[ed] a false impression that [he] had received treatment and services for insurance coverage reimbursement" from Horizon Blue Cross "when in fact he had received not [sic] services" between January 1, 2014 and October 13, 2017.  The complaint is undated but was issued under a 2018 docket number suggesting that it was filed this year.

Figueroa is presumed innocent of these charges unless and until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.