Former Jersey City School Board President Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy

Sudhan Thomas admits to accepting $35,000 in bribes to steer public contracts while seeking re-election and a City Council seat; sentencing set for October.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Former Jersey City Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas, 50, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in official and political matters, admitting he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments in exchange for promising to steer government contracts to a tax attorney’s law firm, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).

Thomas entered his guilty plea on September 5, 2025, before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober in Somerset County. The charge, a third-degree offense, stems from a broader public corruption investigation into multiple political figures across the state. Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2025.

“This defendant placed personal profit ahead of fulfilling his duties and doing what was best for the people who elected him,” said Attorney General Platkin.

According to the State’s findings, Thomas accepted $35,000 in bribes in two cash payments from a cooperating tax attorney between June and July 2019, while campaigning for re-election to the Jersey City school board and a seat on the City Council. In return, he agreed to use his influence to direct public legal work to the attorney’s firm. Law enforcement officers recovered the second installment—$25,000 in cash—immediately after it was handed over.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the State will recommend a five-year New Jersey state prison term, although Thomas is permitted to argue for a lesser sentence. He must also:

• Forfeit $10,000 in illicit proceeds

• Pay a $30,000 public corruption profiteering penalty

• Resign from all current public positions

• Permanently forfeit eligibility for public office or employment

• Be barred from contracting with the State or its subdivisions for five years

Broader Corruption Probe

Thomas was one of several public officials charged in the broader investigation involving bribes accepted from the same cooperating tax attorney. Other defendants include:

• John Cesaro, former Morris County Freeholder (case pending)

• Jason O’Donnell, former State Assemblyman and Bayonne mayoral candidate (case pending)

• Mary Dougherty, former candidate for Morris County Freeholder, who pleaded guilty to false swearing in 2021 and was sentenced to probation and forfeiture of a $10,000 bribe

• John S. Windish, former Mount Arlington Council member, who pleaded guilty in May 2025 to a similar bribery conspiracy and agreed to forfeit $7,000 and permanently resign from public office

The cases against Cesaro and O’Donnell remain active. As with all pending matters, the charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The investigation and prosecution are being led by Assistant Attorneys General Michael Grillo and Andrew Wellbrock under the supervision of Jeffrey J. Manis and Eric Gibson, Bureau Co-Directors at OPIA, with oversight from OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts by state authorities to root out political corruption and enforce accountability in public service.