A former Trenton Water Works employee was sentenced to three years in state prison for failing to collect required water samples and then falsifying records to make it appear the testing had been done, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Friday.
Cesar Lugo had previously pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records and violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. His sentence includes two years of parole ineligibility.
The 38-year-old Lugo worked as a sample collector for Trenton Water Works between October 1 and November 13, 2023. Prosecutors said that during that six-week period, he repeatedly failed to make required water collections but submitted falsified testing results and chain-of-custody forms to the utility.
He also submitted timesheets falsely indicating that he had performed work that was never completed, according to the state.
“Safe drinking water is a fundamental need, and it is critical that the people charged with keeping our water supplies safe and clean do their jobs with diligence and professionalism,” said Davenport. “This defendant chose to break the law, without regard for New Jersey’s residents. Today’s sentence demonstrates that there are serious consequences for such a choice.”
Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak said Lugo’s conduct undermined confidence in the system that protects drinking water.
“Falsifying water sampling reports goes beyond putting people’s health at risk, it damages public trust in an essential public service,” Potosnak stated. “Clean drinking water is a human right and the bedrock underpinning strong communities. Today’s sentencing reaffirms public trust in government systems by delivering accountability.”
“This defendant’s actions were a serious breach of the responsibility entrusted to him as a public employee,” said Martha Nye, the interim director of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for those actions and underscores that those who abuse positions of public trust will be held responsible.”
Under the plea agreement, Lugo, a Trenton resident, received concurrent three-year sentences on the two charges.