Once-corrupt parks department paid NJ man for a comfy no-show job, prosecutors say
💸 Prosecutors say forged time sheets claimed shifts on days a Hudson County parks worker was in Naples, Italy.
❗ Alfonso Zamarra, 58, of Rutherford is charged with 28 counts of wire fraud and was released on $100,000 bond.
➡️ Investigators say he collected more than $45,000 in county pay and over $57,000 in unemployment benefits.
Mismatched handwriting and a vacation to Italy blew the cover on a Hudson County parks worker's tap of taxpayer money, according to federal prosecutors.
Alfonso Zamarra, 58, of Rutherford is charged with 28 counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He appeared in Newark federal court on Wednesday and was released on $100,000 bond.
The FBI says Zamarra had a no-show job that made six figures through pay and unemployment benefits.
An attorney listed in court records as a lawyer for Zamarra did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Forged time sheets claimed shifts while he was in Naples, prosecutors say
Prosecutors said Zamarra was first hired as a seasonal worker by the Hudson County Division of Parks in December 2019. That stint lasted through July 2020. He was hired twice more, each time for six to seven months. He was last employed by the parks department in September 2023.
However, investigators said he made more than $45,000 from the county gig without lifting a finger. Prosecutors said Zamarra's time sheets were forged; time sheets included in court documents appear to show multiple different handwriting styles.
Prosecutors said those time sheets included dates worked during weeks when he wasn't in the country. Zamarra claimed he worked multiple shifts while he was away in Naples, Italy from June 29 to July 9, 2023, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Zamarra also filed for unemployment benefits after completing each seasonal working period. He received over $57,000 in benefits, investigators said.
A high-ranking parks official vouched for him, prosecutors say
Zamarra applied for the job using a high-ranking parks official as a reference, prosecutors said. When Zamarra later applied in 2021 to get rehired for more seasonal work, the same official vouched for his attendance and work performance.
"My referral has to be good I wouldn’t have anything less," the parks official said in emails to other Hudson County employees. The official is not named in court documents.
There's new leadership at the Hudson County Division of Parks these days. But it faced scrutiny from federal prosecutors not too long ago.
Leaders of the division in 2021 have since admitted to corruption, including a bribery scheme involving big bags of cash. Earlier this year, former parks directors Russell Fallacara — who once had mob ties — and Thomas DeLeo pleaded guilty to honest services fraud.
Sitting Hudson County Executive Craig Guy took office in 2024. Guy, a former Jersey City police officer, previously said he was disgusted by the corrupt schemes.
"Corruption is not tolerated on my watch and I applaud federal law enforcement's efforts to hold these former officials accountable. We work for the people and I will continue to serve Hudson County with honesty and integrity," Guy said in March.
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