NJ ‘corruption fighter’ now charged with stealing $250,000 from taxpayers

⚠️ A former Hudson County official has been charged with stealing more than $250,000 in public funds.

➡️ Prosecutors say the money was diverted from county agencies between 2024 and 2026.

🔴 The arrest comes just over a year after Frank Alonso ran for the New Jersey General Assembly.

A man who ran for office on a platform of fighting corruption in Trenton is now accused of stealing more than $250,000 from taxpayers.

Frank Alonso, 58, of Union City, was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus on Tuesday. The former public official is charged with three counts of official misconduct, one count of pattern of official misconduct, and two counts of theft, all second-degree offenses. He's also charged with another third-degree count of theft.

Alonso was released pending a hearing in Superior Court.

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Prosecutors say county funds were diverted for personal gain

Alonso served as the Hudson County Superintendent of Weights and Measures until earlier this year. According to Hudson County prosecutors, Alonso used his position to divert more than $250,000 meant for the Hudson Regional Health Commission and the Office of Weights and Measures.

The funds were stolen for personal gain between January 2024 and January 2026, when Alonso was suspended by Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. The executive said in January that there were "allegations of alarming irregularities." Alonso was later terminated.

On Tuesday, Guy said that the theft was found during an audit spurred by a proactive investigation.

"Corrupt public officials must be held accountable for their bad actions," Guy said.

RELATED: Hudson County parks bribery scheme ends with final guilty plea

Alonso's arrest comes just over a year since he campaigned for the state Assembly. His campaign focused heavily on his experience as a "corruption fighter" and watchdog who would bring change to Trenton. He lost the June 2025 Democratic primary to Gabriel Rodriguez and Larry Wainstein, who both went on to win the general election.

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