A former employee of the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton has been charged with multiple offenses after allegedly collecting more than $30,000 in unemployment benefits while working full-time for the state. Shayion Brooks, 37, of Trenton, is facing charges of theft by unlawful taking (third degree), falsifying or tampering with public records (fourth degree), and false swearing (fourth degree).
According to the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), Brooks is accused of receiving approximately $31,645 in state and federal unemployment payments over a period of 58 weeks between June 2020 and September 2021. During this time, she was employed full-time by the State of New Jersey.
The OPIA’s Corruption Bureau led the investigation. Authorities say Brooks used the New Jersey Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance website to submit false claims while continuing her employment with the state. In October 2022, the Department of Labor detected that Brooks had received benefits while still employed and referred the case to law enforcement.
Brooks was called to testify under oath at a Department of Labor tribunal hearing on July 30, 2024. She allegedly claimed she was a victim of identity theft and denied submitting the claims. However, investigators found that unemployment funds were deposited into her personal bank account—the same account where her state paychecks were deposited—and withdrawal slips from that account bore her signature.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin stated: “As alleged, the defendant took thousands of dollars in benefits meant to help folks who are out of work while she was getting paid full time by the State, and then she lied about it. As these charges attest, we take maintaining the public’s trust in government, and the stewardship of public resources, seriously.”
Eric Gibson, Executive Director of OPIA, added: “The defendant allegedly tried to double dip: not only getting a paycheck, but State unemployment benefits at the same time. Anyone who tries to con the State in order to receive undeserved benefits will be held accountable.”
The Attorney General’s office acknowledged assistance from the Department of Labor under Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo for referring the matter.
If convicted on third-degree charges, Brooks could face three to five years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. Fourth-degree offenses carry up to 18 months in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Deputy Attorneys General Krysta Chotkowski and Richard Bobbe are prosecuting for OPIA under supervision from Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Marian Galietta, Bureau Director Jeffrey Manis, and OPIA Executive Director Gibson.
The charges against Brooks are accusations at this stage; she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
