A former mayor of Spotswood has been charged with allegedly stealing from a scholarship fund set up to honor the memory of a Spotswood EMT.
Nicholas Poliseno, 39, of Spotswood, turned himself in to authorities
at the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 10 a.m. Oct. 10, according to information provided by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey. He is charged with one count of theft in the third degree.
He was charged during a joint investigation with the Division of Criminal Justice, Detective Kevin Schroeck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Spotswood Police Department.
During the investigation, it was determined that in June 2016, Poliseno allegedly withdrew money from the scholarship fund and used it for gambling purposes in Atlantic City.
Poliseno is a disabled Sept. 11 rescue and recovery worker who has lived in Spotswood for more than 20 years, according to previous reports in the Sentinel. He served on the Spotswood Volunteer Fire Department for 20 years and was a member of the Spotswood Borough Council from 2013-16.
The Hinal Patel Scholarship Fund was set up to honor the memory of a Spotswood Emergency Medical Technician, and is awarded annually to a deserving student at Spotswood High School.
Hinal Patel, 22, died in the line of duty on July 25, 2015, when the ambulance she was riding in was stuck by a car.
Poliseno was processed and released pending his initial court appearance in Middlesex County Superior Court on Nov. 9.
Anyone with information should call Detective Kevin Schroeck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3927.
