NEWARK, NJ — On Feb. 24, a former Newark police officer was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to defraud the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation, and giving kickbacks to its former executive director, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Following a 10-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, Janell Robinson, 42, of Newark, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the NWCDC facilitated by use of mail and wire transmissions, two counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right affecting interstate commerce.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, between March 2010 and May 2013, while Robinson was a Newark police officer, she controlled Protected and Secured Services LLC, a company that purported to provide security consulting services to its only client, the NWCDC. Robinson conspired with Linda Watkins Brashear, of West Orange, the former executive director of the NWCDC, to pay Brashear a stream of concealed and undisclosed kickbacks from the proceeds that P&S received from the NWCDC. In exchange for Brashear’s assistance in securing P&S a contract with the NWCDC and approving completely fraudulent or inflated invoices that Robinson submitted, Robinson paid Brashear cash kickbacks from the proceeds of the fraud.
In total, the NWCDC paid P&S approximately $289,000 during the scheme, approximately $50,000 of which was used by Robinson to pay Brashear kickbacks.
The wire and mail fraud conspiracy, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for June 8.
Brashear pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and was sentenced Sept. 21, 2017, to eight and a half years in prison.
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