Ex-Civil Court Officer Stole $1.5M In Role As Financial Collector, Bergen Prosecutor Says

A Florida man has been arrested on accusations he stole nearly $1.5 million while working as a court officer entrusted with collecting money pursuant to civil court orders, authorities in Bergen County said.

Cecilia Levine

06/20/2024 5:45 p.m.

Bruce Piekarsky, of Davie, FL, became the center of an investigation in September 2023, when the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts tipped off the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit regarding allegations of misappropriation of funds, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

Following a months-long investigation, detectives discovered that Piekarsky "mishandled funds that he was entrusted to collect" beginning in 2014, Musella said.

Specifically, an audit of his activity revealed approximately $1.5 million in missing funds that were collected in his capacity as an officer of the court, according to Musella.

A notice to the bar issued by the Bergen County vicinage in 2022 said it was in the process of contacting creditors, attorneys, defendants, employes, and financial institutions to reconcile missing balances.

Piekarsky was arrested Thursday, June 20 and charged with theft, misapplication of entrusting property, and tampering with public records. He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.

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