Guilty plea, indictments in heating oil fraud

//August 21, 2009

NULLThe owner of a Paulsboro heating oil company pleaded guilty to bilking $400,000 from a state energy assistance program, according to state Attorney General Anne Milgram.

In a related case, a local program administrator was indicted, along with her three sisters, her brother and her sister-in-law, on charges they stole $24,086 from the New Jersey Home Energy Assistance, or HEA, program.

Woolwich resident Thomas J. Harris, 66, owner and sole proprietor of Harris Fuel Oil, purchased state assistance checks from individuals enrolled in HEA, Milgram announced last week.

He pleaded guilty to money laundering and other charges, Milgram added, noting Harris admitted to paying HEA beneficiaries less than face value for their program checks without delivering any oil.

Under a plea agreement, Harris will get a four-year prison sentence, and must pay back about $152,000.

Separately, Salem County HEA manager Constance Campbell and five family members were charged with trading HEA checks for cash from Harris.

Between January 2007 and June 2009, Campbell allegedly created fraudulent accounts for herself and each of the indicted family members, none of whom were eligible for benefits, Milgram said.

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