Harrison Police, Prosecutor Wrap Up Court Theft Case

For the third time in approximately two decades, a Harrison municipal employee has been implicated in the theft of public funds, renewing questions about financial oversight and internal controls within Town government.

The latest case involves a former Harrison Municipal Court employee accused of stealing cash bail money collected by the court during the latter part of 2025.

According to a statement released by Harrison Police Chief Stanley Titterington on July 27, 2026, the Harrison Police Department Detective Bureau, working in conjunction with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Investigations Unit, launched a criminal investigation earlier this year after discrepancies were discovered during a routine reconciliation of Municipal Court accounts.

The investigation began after the Town's Court Administrator reported that cash bail receipts did not match the court's financial records.

Investigators determined that cash bail monies collected by the Harrison Municipal Court were unaccounted for on multiple occasions between September and December 2025.

As a result of the investigation, Gabriela Sandwith, 38, of Harrison, was arrested and charged with Theft of Movable Property, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3(a), a third-degree crime.

According to Chief Titterington, Sandwith was employed by the Town of Harrison when the alleged thefts occurred.

Court records further show that on June 25, 2026, Sandwith was admitted into Pretrial Intervention (PTI) in Hudson County Superior Court. As part of the program, she is required to make restitution and permanently forfeit future public employment.

Multiple Municipal Positions

Public records show Sandwith held more than one municipal position during her employment with the Town.

In May 2023, the Harrison Mayor and Council appointed Sandwith as the Town's Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics. The resolution approving her appointment noted that she was a Certified Municipal Registrar, allowing her to perform registrar duties in addition to her work with the Municipal Court.

There is no indication that her responsibilities as Deputy Registrar were connected to the criminal charge involving Municipal Court funds.

Third Public Theft Case in Approximately Twenty Years

The Municipal Court investigation is not an isolated incident.

Instead, it represents the third publicly reported case involving the alleged theft of Harrison municipal funds in roughly the past twenty years, with each case involving a different municipal department.

Construction Department Theft

The most recent previous case occurred in 2022, when Deborah R. Thiry, a clerk assigned to Harrison's Construction and Engineering Department, was charged following an investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities alleged that approximately $62,000 collected by the department between 2016 and 2022 was misappropriated.

According to prosecutors, the discrepancies were discovered during an internal audit conducted by the Town and subsequently referred to investigators by the Harrison Police Department.

Thiry was charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking and Tampering with Public Records, allegations involving municipal payments collected by the Construction Department.

Thiry later pleaded guilty to Tampering with Public Records or Information and was admitted into the Pretrial Intervention (PTI) Program.

You can read our article on the Thiry case through this link.

$100,000 Parking Meter Theft

Years earlier, Harrison experienced what remains one of its most significant municipal theft cases.

Former Department of Public Works Superintendent William "Bill" Tanski, a Town employee for approximately 30 years, pleaded guilty to official misconduct after admitting he stole approximately $100,000 in parking meter revenue collected throughout Harrison.

Tanski was sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison in contrast to the other two cases entered into the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI).

Ironically, investigators reportedly discovered the theft only after Tanski retired from municipal employment. According to published reports, parking meter collections increased dramatically almost immediately following his retirement, prompting Harrison officials to investigate why meter revenues had suddenly risen.

Investigators were reportedly unable to determine exactly how the theft had continued for years without detection.

Published reports also stated that bankruptcy records showed Tanski owed approximately $360,000 to Atlantic City casinos, along with thousands of dollars in additional credit card debt.

A Common Pattern

Although the three criminal cases involve different employees, departments and time periods, they share a notable similarity.

In each case, the alleged thefts were not immediately discovered while they were occurring.

Instead, the missing funds were identified only after financial reconciliations, audits or unusual revenue patterns raised concerns that prompted further investigation.

The Municipal Court case began after discrepancies were identified during routine account reconciliation.

The Construction Department investigation originated from an internal audit.

The parking meter theft came to light only after parking meter collections unexpectedly increased following Tanski's retirement.

Questions About Financial Safeguards

The recurrence of municipal theft cases over nearly two decades is likely to raise questions among residents regarding the Town's financial oversight procedures.

Municipal finance experts generally recommend multiple internal controls to reduce opportunities for theft, including:

• Segregation of financial responsibilities so no single employee controls an entire transaction.
• Independent reconciliation of receipts and deposits.
• Regular internal and external audits.
• Increased supervisory review.
• Enhanced cash-handling procedures.
• Periodic spot audits of departments handling cash.

The Town of Harrison did implement additional safeguards in cash payments going through the Treasury Department with a paper trail following the theft from the Construction Department.

Presumption of Innocence

A criminal charge constitutes an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

In Sandwith's case, the criminal matter has proceeded through New Jersey's Pretrial Intervention program under terms announced by law enforcement that include restitution and the forfeiture of future public employment.

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