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Sandra VonScheven, 49, of Hamilton Township, was given a suspended sentence of 364 days in county jail, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a news release on Thursday, Aug. 29. She won't have to go to jail if she completes probation.
According to court documents and statements, VonScheven started receiving state benefits in November 2001 after her husband died. He had retired as a municipal police officer in New Jersey.
Widows and widowers can receive benefits under the state Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. Those benefits continue for life or stop if the surviving spouse remarries.
The state Division of Pensions and Benefits told the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability that VonScheven was still receiving benefits despite remarrying In January 2010. VonScheven knew her benefits should have been discontinued but she continued accepting monthly benefits through November 2019.
A state grand jury indicted VonScheven in January 2021 and she pleaded guilty in June 2024.
"This sentence should serve as a warning that we will not allow individuals to enrich themselves at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers and public servants," Platkin said. "This crime went on for nearly a decade, but it was ultimately detected and the defendant held responsible."
VonScheven must also pay back the fraudulent benefits she received.
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