TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice today announced that a Trenton Water Works (TWW) sample collector was indicted for allegedly failing to collect water samples and falsifying water quality reports.

Cesar Lugo, 37, of Trenton, is charged with two counts of official misconduct (2nd degree), theft by deception (3rd degree), violating the Safe Drinking Water Act by tampering with records (3rd degree), tampering with public records or information (3rd degree), and falsifying records (4th degree).

“Everyone has a right to safe drinking water, and to know that the people charged with keeping their water supply safe are doing their job,” said Attorney General Platkin. “We will continue to actively investigate any allegations of official misconduct, particularly when the actions of public servants endanger the citizens of New Jersey.”

“The Trenton Water Works is a public utility that provides water to 225,000 people in Trenton and the surrounding towns of Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township and Hopewell Township in Mercer County,” said DCJ Director Theresa Hilton. “The people who work at the utility are public employees, supported by the money paid by its customers. It is unconscionable that this employee would allegedly take a paycheck knowing that he was not doing his work, and was, in fact, falsifying records that others were counting on to ensure water safety.”

“Careful water sample collection and analysis are a critical part of ensuring that New Jerseyans receive reliably clean and safe drinking water from their public utilities,” said Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette. “Those who collect water samples provide a vital public service, but to allegedly falsify samples is to betray the public trust and could pose unacceptable risks to the public health. Thankfully, additional sampling data was being collected throughout the Trenton Water Works distribution system during the time these compliance sampling results were allegedly falsified. As a result, the Department of Environmental Protection does not believe that there was an immediate public health risk during the period that this individual allegedly falsified water sampling data.”

According to the indictment, from October 1, 2023, to November 13, 2023, Lugo worked as a water sample collector for the TWW. He allegedly knowingly submitted fraudulent or falsified water testing results and fraudulent or falsified chain of custody forms to TWW. He also allegedly did not perform water collections when he was supposed to. Lugo allegedly submitted to TWW timesheets that indicated he was performing his assigned work duties and was entitled to payment, when in fact he was not.

Lugo allegedly violated the Safe Drinking Water Act by falsifying water testing results, required to be collected by TWW.  This Act was established to protect the purity of the water supply in New Jersey prior to distribution by water utilities, and requires compliance with multiple provisions of the federal regulations, including requirements for documentation of sampling for various contaminants.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Dom Stockton-Rossini from DCJ’s Environmental Crimes Bureau.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000

Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Fourth-degree offenses carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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