In federal court in Newark June 21, the former president of the Jersey City Board of Education (JCBOED) and former acting executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP) pleaded guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with embezzlement and wire fraud.

Sudhan Thomas, 47, faces one count stemming from his time at JCETP, where he served as acting executive director from January 2019 until his resignation in July 2019. The organization, which closed its doors in 2022, assisted Jersey City residents for more than 30 years with preparing for, and entering, the workforce.

JCETP received substantial federal funding to assist with those efforts.

“Using his access to JCETP funds and control of JCETP’s bank accounts, from March 2019 through July 2019, Thomas embezzled more than $45,000 from JCETP. Thomas caused checks to be drawn from JCETP accounts that were made payable to others, but ultimately received by Thomas or used to pay his debts and expenses,” said prosecutors, according to court documents and statements. “Thomas embezzled JCETP funds by issuing JCETP checks made out to cash that Thomas either cashed himself or used to obtain bank checks that he made payable to Next Glocal, an entity for which Thomas was a director, which were deposited into a bank account for his personal use.”

The other count stems from his time on the JCBOED, a seat he ran for and won in 2016, where he ultimately served as vice president and then president.

“From September 2016 to November 2016, Thomas collected campaign contributions and caused them to be deposited into a bank account opened for the 2016 campaign that he controlled,” said prosecutors. “Under the guise of collecting repayments for loans to the campaign or reimbursement for other purported campaign-related expenses, Thomas embezzled more than $8,000 from his 2016 campaign for his own personal use.”

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 1, 2023. The embezzlement charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, while the wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years beyond bars. Both charges carry a maximum fine of up to $250,000.

He was originally indicted in November 2020, along with Paul Appel, 81, of Point Pleasant, an attorney who also served as treasurer on Thomas’ 2016 campaign. Appel’s case is still pending.