Secaucus, NJ pool employees accused of stealing township chemicals for a side business

🏊‍♀️ Four Secaucus Township employees arrested and charged

🏊‍♀️ Police said they stole township pool chemicals to service their private business

🏊‍♀️ The thefts sometimes occurred daily, police said

SECAUCUS — Four employees of a Hudson County township recreation department, who also own a pool company, have been arrested and charged with stealing thousands of dollars in chemicals from a municipal pool to service their own clients, according to the Secaucus Police Department.

An investigation into the matter was launched when police received information from a resident in March that four individuals employed by the Secaucus Recreation Department were also co-owners of a private pool company.The resident alleged that the individuals were using their positions to commit thefts from the department to benefit their private business.

Police said the group stole thousands in pool chemicals

The investigation found that John T. Schwartz, 61, manager of recreation facilities, Frank N. Flanagan, 32, special events and maintenance, his wife Megan R. Wofsy-Flanagan, 31, head lifeguard, and Joseph Ferrara, 27, assistant manager of the pool, participated in numerous thefts of various pool chemicals purchased by the township and stored at the Secaucus Town Pool.

Thefts sometimes occurred daily when the four employees were both on and off the clock, according to police.

Police said the stolen chemicals were used to service pools in Hudson, Bergen, Morris and Somerset counties connected to the group's private company, Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management.

Police estimate that thousands in pool chemicals were stolen from the township.

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Police said township workers charged customers for stolen chemicals

Despite these pool chemicals being property of the town, Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management would charge their customers for the chemicals used, thus making a profit from the stolen property, police said.

In some cases, according to the police, the private pools were being serviced when township employees were supposed to be working for the town.

Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management also procures lifeguards at various private pools. Since some of the owners of the private company are also in charge of overseeing the town’s lifeguard program, they used their personal company as the entity to certify lifeguards, police said.

The same individuals certified by Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management became employed by Secaucus, according to police.

However, a fee had to be paid to the private pool company for their certification. Police said despite the fee charged to the student for the certification, Secaucus was also billed to certify the students as lifeguards, according to Secaucus police.

Town is taking swift action in case

Also, some instructors were being paid by the town to teach the class, despite Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management charging the students their own fee.

These certification classes were taught at the Secaucus Recreation Center, mostly by Wofsy-Flanagan, who is the town’s head lifeguard.

“The Town of Secaucus is very disheartened by the alleged actions of the employees who have been charged. That being said, we have taken swift action and can ensure the public that any violation of their trust by a town employee, or anyone else, will not be tolerated,” said Town Administrator Gary Jeffas.

On June 10, all four were arrested and charged with theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and theft of service.

The Flanagans and Ferrara were also charged with burglary.

All were released pending a court appearance.

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