TRENTON—A former Department of Children and Families technical assistant has been indicted by a state grand jury for allegedly accepting bribes to disclose restricted information from child protection case files. Susaida Nazario, 44, of Trenton, faces multiple felony charges announced Friday by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. The formal accusation claims Nazario solicited illegal payments between January and August 2021 while employed in the agency’s Information Technology Division.
Prosecutors contend Nazario misrepresented herself as a DCF caseworker to an individual involved with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. She reportedly pursued and received monetary payments in exchange for offering to disclose protected case information and providing assistance with the matter. The unauthorized release would have compromised sensitive details about minors under state protection.
A state grand jury returned a four-count charging document accusing Nazario of bribery in official and political matters according to the Attorney General’s Office. These felony counts include acceptance of unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior and official misconduct, both graded at the more serious level. An additional charge of theft by deception, classified one grade lower, completes the filing.
If convicted on the bribery and misconduct counts, Nazario faces five to ten years in state prison and fines reaching $150,000 per count. The theft by deception charge carries a sentence of three to five years and a $15,000 fine. New Jersey’s criminal code permits consecutive sentencing for multiple counts, though judges retain discretion in imposing concurrent or consecutive terms.
The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability led the investigation. Executive Director Eric L. Gibson stated, "The public rightfully expects that State employees with access to sensitive information about children will follow the law. Instead, the defendant allegedly misused her access for her own benefit."
Davenport emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for her administration and characterized the accused behavior as unconscionable. The Attorney General’s Office declined to disclose the identity of the individual who reportedly paid Nazario or specify the exact dollar amount of bribes received during the 2021 timeframe.
The new filing follows a criminal complaint lodged against Nazario in March 2025. That earlier charging document accused her of accepting both cash and property in two separate cases involving different victims. The 2026 grand jury action narrows the focus to the single 2021 incident involving the DCPP case file and eliminates the property acceptance allegation.
DCF operates the Division of Child Protection and Permanency which investigates child abuse allegations and manages foster care placements statewide. The agency maintains strict confidentiality protocols for case files containing medical records, home addresses and personal details about juveniles. Technical assistants in the IT Division typically possess system access credentials but lack the caseworker assignments that authorize direct contact with families. Nazario’s position required handling digital infrastructure rather than managing child welfare cases.
Her case will proceed through the Superior Court. These felony-level charges carry a presumption of state imprisonment upon conviction, though judges may impose probationary sentences in exceptional circumstances.
The purported offenses occurred in Trenton. DCF headquarters maintains administrative offices in the state capital but operates as a statewide cabinet agency with regional field offices throughout New Jersey.
Child protection case files contain medical histories, foster placement locations and allegations of abuse or neglect. Unauthorized disclosure could endanger minors by revealing their locations to abusive guardians or compromising active investigations. Nazario’s purported actions violated both technical protocols and ethical standards governing public employment.
Sources:
• New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Press Release, March 6, 2026
• MyCentralJersey.com, March 6, 2026
• NJ.com, March 6, 2026
• DailyVoice.com Trenton, March 6, 2026
• Morristown Minute, March 31, 2025
• NJ1015.com, March 28, 2025
They should do an investigation of the entire department!
ReplyThis agency continues to be a problem, even after being sued in 2003 over the Faheem Williams case. The Ocean County office should be investigated too.
Reply