By: Richard L. Smith
A supervisor with the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development, and Commerce has been charged following a fraud investigation conducted by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to a statement released by Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello, members of the Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit, working alongside the Jersey City Police Department, arrested Jessica Barreto, 48, of Wallington, on Friday, June 26.
Authorities allege Barreto unlawfully accessed or used a computer system, forged records with the intent to defraud, and falsified or tampered with official records during the course of her employment.
She is charged with second-degree computer criminal activity, third-degree forgery with intent to defraud, and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records.
Barreto was arrested on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Jersey City and released pending her first court appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for July 16, 2026.
The investigation remains under the direction of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit.