Councilwoman could face prison after losing deal that kept her out of jail
🚨 A judge has terminated Gina LaPlaca from PTI, putting the former Lumberton mayor back at risk of incarceration.
⚖️ Her PTI deal offered a path to avoid jail and a criminal record if she complied with its conditions and stayed out of trouble for three years.
🔒 LaPlaca pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree child abuse/endangerment charge, which can carry up to 18 months behind bars.
Even with all her well documented issues and run-ins with the law, Gina LaPlaca had a deal that could have kept her out of jail.
Now, that deal is gone.
A Superior Court judge has terminated the former Lumberton mayor and current township committeewoman from New Jersey’s Pretrial Intervention program, putting LaPlaca back in jeopardy of incarceration on the child abuse charge to which she pleaded guilty earlier this year.
The decision came as LaPlaca’s estranged husband, Jason Carty, was arrested Thursday on new domestic violence charges stemming from an incident Tuesday at LaPlaca’s Lumberton home. Carty faces a third-degree aggravated assault charge, according to the New Jersey Globe.
Gina LaPlaca’s PTI deal offered a way to avoid jail
LaPlaca’s legal troubles began with her March 2025 arrest while she was serving as Lumberton mayor.
Authorities said LaPlaca had her young child in her BMW after drinking and was involved in a hit-and-run. Police later measured her blood-alcohol concentration at .30%, more than three times New Jersey’s legal limit of .08%.
LaPlaca eventually pleaded guilty to DUI and a fourth-degree child abuse charge. She was admitted into PTI for three years, giving her an opportunity to avoid jail and ultimately avoid a criminal record if she successfully completed the program.
Her conditions included continued treatment, regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, compliance with requirements imposed by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency and use of an ignition-interlock device.
The biggest requirement was simple: stay out of trouble.
That didn’t happen.
New criminal charges put LaPlaca’s deal in jeopardy
In August, Burlington County prosecutors charged LaPlaca and Carty in an alleged petition-fraud scheme involving her unsuccessful bid for re-election to the Lumberton Township Committee.
Prosecutors allege multiple people whose names appeared on LaPlaca’s nominating petition said they never signed it or authorized anyone to sign for them. LaPlaca was charged with making a false statement under oath, knowingly filing a false petition, tampering with public records or information and falsifying or tampering with records. Those charges remain allegations.
She ultimately lost the election by a 3-1 margin.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office subsequently moved to terminate her PTI, and Judge Craig Ambrose did so Thursday, according to the Globe.
LaPlaca could now face jail on child abuse charge
A fourth-degree crime in New Jersey can carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison. The Globe reports LaPlaca now faces a presumption of incarceration following her removal from PTI.
It is a remarkable reversal.
The PTI agreement gave LaPlaca a chance to put one of the ugliest chapters of her political and personal life behind her without going to jail.
All she had to do was comply with the court’s conditions and stay out of legal trouble.
She couldn't do it, and now that opportunity is gone.
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