By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Hudson County announced that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit arrested the former Executive Director of the North Bergen Housing Authority following a theft investigation.
Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello stated that Gerald Sanzari, 63, of River Edge, is charged with two counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking, crimes of the third degree.
He was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and released pending his first court appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, HCPO officials say.
In November 2024, according to Hudson County officials, the Township of North Bergen referred this matter to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
The investigation found that on various dates between January 2022 and June 2024, the defendant utilized city vendors to perform contract work at his private residence, Hudson County authorities said. 
Hudson County officials said the defendant paid the vendors over $20,000 utilizing an account belonging to North Bergen Renaissance Urban Renewal, a component of the North Bergen Housing Authority.