2 More Arrested In Alleged Theft Of Secaucus Pool Chemicals By Town Employees

SECAUCUS, NJ — Two more arrests were just announced in the case of four Secaucus town employees accused of stealing chemicals from the town swimming pool, for use in their own private pool maintenance business.

Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said the two people additionally arrested are:

• Johvanny Leveque, 24, of Bogota, charged with theft and conspiracy to commit theft. He was arrested Tuesday.
• Marlon Guzman, 47, of Secaucus, charged with theft and conspiracy to commit theft. He was arrested Tuesday.

Neither of these two are employed by the town of Secaucus, said Miller. They worked for Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management, the pool company run by Secaucus Recreation Department employees John Schwartz, Frank Flanagan, Joseph Ferrara and Megan Wofsy-Flanagan, who were all charged similarly with theft, conspiracy to commit theft and theft of service.

Flanagan, his wife Wofsy-Flanagan and Ferrara were additionally charged with burglary.

They stole the chemicals from the town pool sometimes daily, Chief Miller said Wednesday. He declined to reveal the total dollar value of chemicals stolen. But he previously said it was "in the thousands."

"No other information can be released regarding that at this time," said Miller Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Schwartz (who has a head job as the manager of all Secaucus rec facilities), Ferrara, Flanagan and Wofsy-Flanagan were all arrested by Secaucus Police.

None of the arrests Tuesday took place at the Rec Center or on town property, said Miller.

However, other Secaucus Rec. Center employees say they were questioned by Secaucus Police to see if they were involved in the alleged scheme.

But these are the six people arrested and criminally charged so far.

In March, Secaucus Police detectives got a tip from a resident that several people employed by the Secaucus Recreation Department were stealing chemicals from the town pool for use in their private business.

They charged customers thousands of dollars to service their pools with the stolen chemicals, said police. Clients were located in Secaucus, but also in towns in Hudson, Bergen, Morris and Somerset counties. Also, some of the town employees worked for their private company while getting paid on the clock by the town of Secaucus, allege police and town administrator Gary Jeffas.

Secaucus Police say they watched them steal chemicals from the pool. A town of Secaucus vehicle was also used on occasion during the servicing of a private pool, said police.

Additionally, Wofsy-Flanagan is in charge of overseeing the town of Secaucus’ lifeguard program. Police say she doubled-billed both the town of Secaucus and clients of Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management to certify lifeguards hired by her pool company. She taught these lifeguard certification classes at the Rec Center.

On Tuesday, court-authorized searches were conducted at the Secaucus Rec Department, both at 20 Centre Avenue and 1200 Koelle Boulevard, the home of Flanagan and his wife, and some vehicles. Evidence was found in these searches, said police.

Tuesday: 4 Secaucus Town Employees Accused Of Stealing Town's Pool Chemicals For Their Own Business

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