NJ school employee got paid $90K for doing nothing. Now she’s charged with a crime

🚨 Former Plainfield school employee accused of collecting $90K in unearned pay after resigning, prosecutors say.
💰 Audit uncovered two-year payroll scheme tied to Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School.
⚖️ Suspect now charged with second-degree theft, faces court appearance in May.

PLAINFIELD — A former Plainfield Board of Education employee has been charged with stealing over $90,000 in unearned payroll over the course of two years, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

Audit uncovers alleged $90K payroll theft in Plainfield schools

The investigation began in January following an audit of Plainfield Board of Education records, and a subsequent referral from the Plainfield Police Department, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said.

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The audit revealed that Kyna Felder-Ruiz, 43, resigned from her position as a teacher’s assistant at the Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School in January 2023, but she continued to receive regular paychecks.

Prosecutors say suspect took steps to keep getting paid

A review of financial records confirmed that Felder-Ruiz stole over $90,000 in unearned salary from the school district.

Rather than report the discrepancy, Felder-Ruiz allegedly took active steps to ensure she kept getting paid, Daniel said.

City employee now facing theft charges after months-long investigation

At the time the investigation was referred to the prosecutor’s office, she was employed as a principal account clerk for the City of Plainfield’s Department of Economic Development.

Following a months-long investigation, Felder-Ruiz was served with a complaint summons on April 7.

She was charged with second-degree theft of mislaid property. Felder-Ruiz was processed and released pending her first court appearance on May 26.

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