WHITING – A New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) senior engineer has been indicted for submitting false academic credentials in order to obtain his state position and promotions.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced on April 16 that Roger Sequeira, 64, of Whiting, is charged with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree theft by deception, third-degree theft by deception, and third-degree tampering with public records or information.
Between November 24, 2007 and June 16, 2020, Sequeira allegedly lied about obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from La Salle University. He allegedly presented a fake university transcript document to the state.
Due to this deception, NJDOT allegedly lost over $75,000 from additional compensation paid to Sequeira from his fraudulent promotions.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that between October 22, 2018 and March 20, 2020, Sequeira stole more than $500 by fraudulently taking leave time. He claimed to take leave time for illness or visits to healthcare providers, and succeeded by submitting false documents claiming to be from healthcare providers to support that leave time.
Sequeira faces a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The second-degree charge of official misconduct carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison without possibility of parole. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Jonathan Gilmore and Adam Gerken of the OPIA Corruption Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Peter Lee and OPIA Deputy Director Anthony Picione.
Attorney General Grewal thanked the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General for their investigation and referral.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
