Former Assistant Dean and Employees Admit to Million-Dollar Embezzlement from NJ Graduate School

Teresina DeAlmeida, Rose Martins, and Silvia Cardoso plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, defrauding their employer of over $1.3 million.

NEWARK, N.J. - Three former employees of an Essex County graduate school have pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1.3 million from their employer, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

“Through an elaborate, years-long embezzlement scheme, these defendants violated their obligation to the students and exploited their role at this institution of higher learning to line their own pockets. Through forgery, fraudulent invoices, unauthorized transactions and phony shell companies, they stole money intended to benefit the school and its student body and abused their positions. These arrests are yet another example of this office’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit financial fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Teresina DeAlmeida, 59, of Warren, and Rose Martins, 44, of East Hanover, admitted to wire fraud conspiracy charges today before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in Newark federal court. Silvia Cardoso, 61, of Warren, pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 25, 2024.

According to court documents and statements, between 2009 and July 2022, DeAlmeida, Martins, and Cardoso conspired to misappropriate funds from the graduate school, where DeAlmeida served as an assistant dean, Martins as her assistant, and Cardoso in a support role.

“The genesis of most fraud schemes happens when people have access to money, they believe they are entitled to, and no one will notice it’s gone,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “However, these three subjects fell into the same trap other criminals do - the money wasn’t theirs, and the Essex County graduate school went in search of the missing $1.3 million. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners who worked on this investigation excel at following the paper trail and evidence left behind by almost every fraudster.”

“As employees of a higher learning institution, the defendants in this investigation had an obligation to act in the best interest of the students they served, but instead they prioritized enriching themselves,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said.

The fraudulent scheme involved several methods:

• Fake Employment and Invoices: Starting in 2009, DeAlmeida directed a school vendor to pay Martins and Cardoso for nonexistent work. DeAlmeida and Martins then caused the vendor to submit false invoices to the school for reimbursement.
• Gift Cards and Prepaid Debit Cards: From 2010 to 2022, DeAlmeida and Martins directed vendors to order and deliver gift cards and prepaid debit cards for personal use, then submitted fraudulent invoices to the school. They also used DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to purchase gift cards and prepaid debit cards from the school bookstore, approving the charges fraudulently.
• Shell Entity and Fraudulent Invoices: In 2015, Martins created a shell entity, CMS Content Management Specialist LLC, which never provided any services. She submitted, and DeAlmeida approved, fraudulent invoices totaling more than $208,000.
• Unauthorized Personal Purchases: The conspirators used DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to make over $70,000 in unauthorized purchases, including women’s shoes, smartwatches, and bed linens, which were shipped directly to their homes. They altered receipts before submitting them for payment.

The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for November 26, 2024, for Cardoso, December 2, 2024, for DeAlmeida, and December 3, 2024, for Martins.