A former Jersey City Board of Education president has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for steering government contracts to a law firm, according to an announcement from Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
Sudhan Thomas, 50, admitted in court on September 5, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bribery in official and political matters. The plea was entered before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober in Somerset County.
Under the terms of his plea agreement with OPIA, prosecutors will recommend a five-year state prison sentence for Thomas. He will be allowed to seek a lesser sentence at his sentencing hearing scheduled for October 17, 2025.
Thomas also agreed to forfeit $10,000 he received illegally and pay a $30,000 public corruption profiteering penalty. He will permanently lose eligibility for public employment or office and is barred from doing business with the State or its subdivisions for five years.
“This defendant placed personal profit ahead of fulfilling his duties and doing what was best for the people who elected him,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This case shows that my office takes fighting public corruption seriously. We will continue to prioritize reassuring taxpayers that their elected representatives are serving the public good, not using public resources for their own benefit.”
“As today’s guilty plea reflects, anyone who uses their public office to illegally line their own pockets will be held accountable,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
During his plea hearing, Thomas admitted he took $35,000 in cash bribes from a tax attorney over two payments between June and July 2019 while seeking reelection to the school board and running for City Council. In return, he agreed to use his position—if elected—to provide contracts or work to the attorney’s law firm. Law enforcement recovered $25,000 after stopping Thomas immediately following the second payment.
Thomas was indicted along with several others accused of receiving separate bribe payments from the same cooperating tax attorney: former Morris County Freeholder John Cesaro; former State Assemblyman and Bayonne mayoral candidate Jason O’Donnell; former Morris County freeholder candidate Mary Dougherty; and John S. Windish, a former Mount Arlington Borough Council member.
In May 2025, Windish pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and agreed to give up $7,000 received as part of the crime as well as accept permanent disqualification from holding future public office in New Jersey.
Dougherty pleaded guilty in February 2021 to false swearing related to her involvement. She was sentenced in March 2021 to probation and forfeiture of an unlawful $10,000 payment.
Cases against Cesaro and O’Donnell remain pending; both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The prosecution team included Assistant Attorneys General Michael Grillo and Andrew Wellbrock under supervision by Bureau Co-Directors Jeffrey J. Manis and Eric Gibson as well as OPIA Executive Director Skinner.
Thomas was represented by Jeffrey Garrigan Esq., based in Jersey City.
