Bergen County prosecutor disputes audit of Ridgewood coin theft case
FEBRUARY 11, 2015, 6:43 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015, 6:32 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The Bergen County prosecutor disputed on Wednesday the findings of a forensic audit that determined the theft from Ridgewood’s coin room was even greater than originally thought — $377,526 more than suspected.
Meanwhile, a state legislator is calling for the Attorney General’s Office to help the village find out how the additional money was stolen in a years-long heist of parking meter quarters.
Still, village officials remain intent on unraveling the truth behind the missing money — an unfathomable 3.4 million quarters from 2010 to 2013
Thomas Rica, a former public works inspector for the village, used a master key to access the coin room, where collected meter quarters are sorted and stored. Rica, a Hawthorne resident, admitted stealing $460,000 in coins under a plea deal reached with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. In return, he received no jail time, five years’ probation and must pay back at least half the money.
