Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that a former Camden City firefighter has been charged with stealing more than $82,000 by fraudulently collecting a disability pension from the New Jersey Police and Firemen’s Retirement System while working as a martial arts instructor and participating in competitive mixed martial arts.
Shane B. Streater, 40, of Camden, was charged by complaint yesterday with second-degree theft by deception. Streater was served with a summons; he was not arrested. The charge is the result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office by the Board of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS).
In February 2009, Streater applied for an accidental disability pension, asserting that he was disabled as the result of two accidents while on duty: one in December 2007, when a car struck the fire truck he was riding, and a second in March 2008, when his fire truck hit a pothole. In each incident, he claimed to have injured his back and/or neck. Based largely on statements from Streater regarding his inability to engage in physical activity, an independent doctor found he had a total and permanent disability. The doctor concluded, however, that his disability was from a preexisting condition and not work related.
The PFRS Board awarded Streater an ordinary disability pension on January 9, 2010. Streater appealed to the Office of Administrative Law, insisting his disability was work-related and he was entitled to an accidental disability pension, which is untaxed and pays two-thirds of the beneficiary’s salary, while an ordinary disability pension pays 40 percent of salary and is taxed. A deputy attorney general and investigator handling the appeal for the PFRS Board subsequently learned that Streater was teaching jiu jitsu two or more times a week at a mixed martial arts academy. They also found a YouTube video of Streater participating in the highly competitive Grapplers Quest Mixed Martial Arts Tournament in June 2010, at which he won a bronze medal. Further investigation revealed that Streater was awarded his black belt in jiu jitsu in 2010, while collecting the PFRS disability pension. The PFRS Board revoked Streater’s disability pension on April 9, 2012, but he already had collected a total of $82,488 in benefits.
Acting Attorney General Hoffman and Director Honig noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free tip line 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to confidentially report fraud, corruption and other illegal activities. The public also can log on to the Division’s webpage at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.
Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000. The charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Because the charge is an indictable offense, the case will be presented to a grand jury for potential indictment.