As Willingboro councilman sits in jail, prosecutor moving to remove him from office

From a federal prison cell, Nat Anderson continues to serve on the Willingboro Township Council, refusing to resign months after a jury convicted him of participating in a mortgage fraud scheme and creating the unusual circumstance of a sitting councilman holding public office from behind bars.

Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw is expected to file a motion today seeking the forfeiture of Anderson’s public office, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

Anderson, a former mayor who has served on the council since 2009, was sentenced last month to one year and one day in federal prison for his role in a scheme to discharge a mortgage through a short sale fraudulently.  Federal Bureau of Prisons records show that Anderson is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix and has a projected release date of May 5, 2027.

But Anderson has refused to resign, and his photograph and biography remain on Willingboro’s municipal website.

The 58-year-old councilman had hoped to serve his sentence and return to the council, where his current term does not expire until December 31, 2029.

The timing of Anderson’s removal could affect how his seat is filled.  It is too late to hold a special primary for this year’s election, leaving members of the Willingboro Democratic County Committee to select a nominee for a November special election.  It would also give Republicans, who rarely run anybody, a chance to pick a candidate, and the door would be open for an independent contender.

In the meantime, if a Superior Court Judge removes Anderson, it will be up to the local Democratic party to submit three names to the council as an interim replacement; the remaining four members of the council could either agree on one of the names, or remand it back to the county committee.

Anderson was indicted in January 2024 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud and two counts of making false statements on a loan application. A federal jury convicted him in January.

Prosecutors said Anderson and Chrisone Anderson used false documents to obtain a new mortgage on a Willingboro property after arranging a fraudulent short sale.

Documents submitted as part of the transaction falsely claimed that the sale was conducted at arm’s length, that Chrisone Anderson had no previous business relationship with Anderson, that he would not remain in the home after the sale and that she planned to use it as her primary residence.

Despite the pending federal charges, Anderson won another four-year term in 2025 after facing no opposition in either the Democratic primary or the general election. He was first elected to the council in 2009 and has won re-election four times.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch ordered the two defendants to pay nearly $222,000 in restitution.  Chrisone Anderson was sentenced to eight months of home confinement for her role in the scheme.

Anderson’s attorney has said he plans to appeal the conviction.

New Jersey law provides for the forfeiture of public office following convictions for certain serious crimes.  Permanent disqualification from public office generally applies when the offense involves or touches the convicted official’s position, although prosecutors may seek removal under other provisions for qualifying convictions.