Former President Of Camden Education Association Indicted For Allegedly Using Union-Paid Credit Card For Personal Expenses

Nearly $15,000 In Personal Charges Alleged, Including Numerous Withdrawals For Gambling

November 15, 2007 -- TRENTON – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that former Camden Education Association (CEA) president Claraliene Gordon has been indicted for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in funds of the teachers union by using a CEA-funded credit/debit card for personal expenses.

It is alleged that Gordon, who served as CEA president from September 2000 to August 2006, used the CEA-funded card at various Atlantic City casinos on approximately 26 occasions to help finance her gambling habit.

According to Director Paw, Gordon, 66, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was indicted by a state grand jury on third-degree charges of theft by unlawful taking and misapplication of entrusted property. Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

During her tenure as president, Gordon allegedly used her CEA-issued credit/debit card for $14,974 in personal expenses. After being confronted by union officials on a number of occasions about the misappropriated funds, Gordon repaid $7,467, but she has failed to repay the rest. Gordon claimed that some of the withdrawals made at Atlantic City casinos were for official business. For example, on one occasion, after making three withdrawals totaling $2,046 at the Showboat Casino, she claimed she needed the cash to place a deposit for rooms for an upcoming education convention. Another time, she claimed $1,789 withdrawn at Harrah’s was actually a buy back of vacation days she had coming. It is alleged that those claims were false. On other occasions she used the CEA card to pay for hotels for personal travel or charged for hotel rooms on official trips when she had already received expense checks from the union to cover the hotel expenses.

The case was investigated by Detective Sgt. Dawn Heltzman and Detective Rachel Vogel of the New Jersey State Police and State Investigator Kim Husband of the Division of Criminal Justice. It was presented to the state grand jury by Deputy Attorney General Vincent J. Militello.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The indictment was handed up this afternoon to Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County. Judge Feinberg assigned the case to Superior Court in Camden County, where Gordon will be ordered to appear at a later date.

The Division of Criminal Justice – Corruption Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities. The statewide Corruption Tipline is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web site at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Tipline or Web site will remain confidential.

Source: New Jersey Attorney General

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