South Brunswick Cop Gets 5 Years In Prison For Stealing $75K From Police Union

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A South Brunswick police officer has been sentenced to five years in state prison for stealing more than $75,000 from his local Policeman's Benevolent Association chapter, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said Wednesday.

Abraham "Jason" Gassman, 53, was sentenced Tuesday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry Butehorn. He pleaded guilty to second-degree theft earlier this year, at which time orders permanently forfeiting his public office and firearms were signed.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Professional Responsibility Unit that began after Gassman shoplifted about $100 in bedding from a Target store in Ocean Township early last year, leaving the scene in his police vehicle.

That probe expanded into Gassman's finances as treasurer of his PBA chapter, a position he had held since 2009 with exclusive control over the union's accounts. Investigators found he stole more than $75,000 from the PBA over a span of roughly six years, using the union's credit card for personal purchases and pocketing cash from PBA fundraisers and other events.

Those personal purchases included patio furniture, storage containers, vacuums, propane gas, a leaf blower, televisions, a home gym kit, a microwave, luggage and food, according to the prosecutor's office. In one instance, investigators said Gassman used the PBA card to cover lodging, parking, gas and food for himself and another officer on a business trip, then separately submitted a purchase order to the police department seeking reimbursement for the same expenses.

When PBA leadership began asking questions, prosecutors said Gassman submitted falsified documents to the union's accountant claiming he had repaid the personal charges, then changed the password on the PBA credit card account, locking out the chapter's leadership.

Gassman was also barred from returning to any Target store as part of his sentencing.

"Crimes of this nature aren't just betrayals of a solemn oath of service; they undermine the public perception of the overwhelming majority of rank-and-file members of law enforcement who routinely do everything in their power to uphold the law with honor and duty," Santiago said. "We feel that the outcome of this case appropriately reflects the seriousness with which we approach such matters."

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond J. Hayducka said the department's vision statement calls for its officers to provide service "second to none," and that living up to that standard requires acknowledging when someone falls short of it.

"We hope that the outcome of this matter, which involved our full cooperation, is suitably reflective of our collective commitment to justice and fidelity," Hayducka said.

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