By: Richard L. Smith
Image by: Dailyvoice.com
A former Penns Grove councilman has pleaded guilty in two separate corruption cases involving the misuse of public funds and fraudulent housing benefits, state officials announced.
Carl Washington Jr., 52, of Penns Grove admitted to criminal conduct tied to the abuse of state Clean Communities funding and the falsification of income to obtain reduced rent on a government-subsidized apartment.
According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the pleas resolve two long-running investigations handled by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
In the Clean Communities matter, Washington pleaded guilty on January 13, 2026, to third-degree theft by unlawful taking.
Authorities said he misappropriated approximately $8,200 by altering paperwork and directing fraudulent checks to organizations controlled by associates, who then returned some or all of the proceeds.
Prosecutors will recommend probation, 100 hours of community service, restitution, and a permanent ban from public office and public employment in New Jersey.
Washington also pleaded guilty to third-degree theft by deception in a separate case involving fraudulent income reporting.
Investigators determined that he failed to disclose earnings from multiple jobs, reporting only his councilman salary, which allowed him to pay as little as $80 to $92 per month in rent between 2017 and 2018. 
Had his full income been reported, authorities said his rent would have been approximately $1,400 per month. The total loss from the housing fraud was estimated at more than $31,000.
The guilty pleas were entered on the day Washington’s trial was scheduled to begin in Salem County Superior Court. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 6, 2026.