TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today announced that an ex-employee of the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton is facing criminal charges after allegedly submitting false unemployment insurance claims and improperly getting benefits for more than a year.

Shayion Brooks, 37, of Trenton, New Jersey, has been charged by complaint with theft by unlawful taking (3rd degree), falsifying or tampering with public records (4th degree), and false swearing (4th degree), after she allegedly received an estimated $31,645 in state and federal unemployment payments while working full-time for, and being paid by, the State.

The charges arise from an investigation by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau. The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

“As alleged, the defendant took thousands of dollars in benefits meant to help folks who are out of work while she was getting paid full time by the State, and then she lied about it,” said Attorney General Platkin. “As these charges attest, we take maintaining the public’s trust in government, and the stewardship of public resources, seriously.”

“The defendant allegedly tried to double dip: not only getting a paycheck, but State unemployment benefits at the same time,” said Eric Gibson, Executive Director of OPIA. “Anyone who tries to con the State in order to receive undeserved benefits will be held accountable.”

Based on documents filed in court, between June 2020 and September 2021, the defendant electronically received unemployment benefits for a period of 58 weeks, while employed full-time with the State.

As alleged, the defendant, using the New Jersey Department of Labor’s (DOL) Division of Unemployment Insurance website, falsely certified unemployment insurance claims at the same time that she was fully employed.

As alleged, in October 2022, the DOL detected that Brooks had collected benefits while employed with the State. Brooks was subsequently summoned to testify under oath at a Department of Labor tribunal hearing on July 30, 2024. She allegedly falsely told the tribunal she was the victim of identity theft, and was not the individual who submitted the claims.

However, further investigation uncovered that the unemployment funds were deposited into the same personal bank account belonging to the defendant where her paychecks from the State were deposited. Evidence gathered by investigators showed withdrawal slips from that account bearing Brooks’ signature.

The Attorney General and OPIA wish to thank and acknowledge the Department of Labor, under the leadership of Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, for their assistance in referring this matter to law enforcement.

Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Fourth-degree offenses could lead to up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Deputy Attorneys General Krysta Chotkowski and Richard Bobbe are prosecuting the case for OPIA, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Marian Galietta, Bureau Director Jeffrey Manis, and OPIA Executive Director Gibson.

Defense counsel:

Unknown at this time

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