A former Trenton Water Works employee has been sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to falsifying water-testing records and failing to collect required samples, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced.
Cesar Lugo, 38, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records and violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. His three-year sentences on the two convictions will run concurrently, with a two-year period of parole ineligibility, according to the state.
The case involved Lugo’s work as a water sample collector for Trenton Water Works between Oct. 1 and Nov. 13, 2023.
According to court documents and statements cited by the Attorney General’s Office, Lugo submitted fraudulent or falsified water-testing results and chain-of-custody forms to the utility. On numerous occasions, he did not conduct required water collections but submitted timesheets certifying that he had performed the work and was entitled to payment.
The Safe Drinking Water Act requires accurate testing and reporting of public water supplies.
“Falsifying water sampling reports goes beyond putting people’s health at risk, it damages public trust in an essential public service,” state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak said in announcing the sentence.
Trenton Water Works supplies drinking water to customers in Trenton and portions of Hopewell Township, Ewing, Hamilton and Lawrence.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Dom Stockton-Rossini of the Division of Criminal Justice’s Regulatory Unit.
