7-30-2024 8:27pm

Former Investigator for NJ Victims of Crime Compensation Office Charged with Engaging in Inappropriate Sexual Communications with Crime Victims Seeking Support

Donnella Tilery Editor

TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today announced that a former investigator for the NJ Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) has been criminally charged for allegedly soliciting and engaging in inappropriate sexual communications with crime victims whose applications for VCCO support he was assigned to investigate. VCCO, an agency within the Department of Law and Public Safety, provides financial assistance as the payer of last resort to victims of crime to alleviate the economic and emotional burdens of victimization.

Guilherme H. Jamarino, 47, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, was charged by complaint-warrant with second-degree official misconduct in connection with allegations stemming from an OPIA investigation that began with a referral from the VCCO. A pre-indictment conference for Jamarino is scheduled for August 9, 2024, in Superior Court in Essex County.

According to the charges against him, while employed as an investigator with the VCCO in Newark, Jamarino was assigned to handle the cases of multiple crime victims seeking financial, housing relocation or other assistance from the VCCO. During this time, Jamarino was subject to the State Uniform Ethics Code, which provides, among other things, that “[n]o State officer or employee … should use or attempt to use his/her official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for him/herself or others.”

Evidence obtained during the OPIA investigation showed that from approximately December 9, 2021 to July 20, 2022, Jamarino used his personal cell phone to communicate via text message and social media apps with at least four victims regarding their VCCO claims. Jamarino allegedly sent messages to the victims, which shifted in tone and context from professional in nature to inappropriate and oftentimes sexual and explicit. Several victims reported they were often upset and confused by the communications, since Jamarino was their point of contact, as the VCCO investigator, and responsible for supporting their claims process.

Jamarino’s employment with the VCCO was ended on Monday, July 25, 2022.

“The mission of the VCCO is to compassionately serve New Jersey crime victims in a manner that is mindful of the trauma they have suffered and their right to be treated with fairness, compassion and respect. The alleged conduct of the defendant made a mockery of that mission,” said Attorney General Platkin. “His alleged misuse of his authority to engage in sexual communications with VCCO victims was a violation of his professional duties and the law, and a betrayal of the trust those victims placed in him and the VCCO. We intend to hold him fully accountable for his conduct and the immense harm it caused those he had a duty to assist.”

“Let me be clear – the defendant’s alleged conduct in this case is not reflective of the dedicated men and women of the VCCO,” added Attorney General Platkin. “These alleged actions are the antithesis of the compassionate, trauma-informed service that crime victims receive every day from the VCCO.”

“As alleged, the evidence revealed that this defendant exploited his position as a VCCO investigator to gain access to – and prey on – vulnerable and traumatized crime victims who, no doubt, were well aware of the sway he held over their ability to obtain the financial assistance they desperately needed to move forward with their lives,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “No one turning to a government agency for help should ever be exploited in this way. Public protection demands that we prosecute and bring to justice anyone who engages in this kind of criminal conduct and that is exactly what we are doing in this case.”

According to the charges against him, while employed as a VCCO investigator, Jamarino allegedly sent numerous inappropriate photographs of himself to the VCCO victims whose cases were assigned to him. For example, he allegedly sent one victim a photo of himself shirtless wearing a towel, and a video of himself from the neck up in the shower. He allegedly sent another victim a photo of himself looking in a mirror wearing only a towel and gripping the towel in front of his groin. Jamarino then sent the same victim a message that said, “send the address, and I’ll come get you” and included two heart-eyed emojis. Jamarino allegedly sent the same victim additional messages in the days that followed, including one which read: “send pics, pretty lady. Full body pics if you have any.”

It is also alleged that Jamarino sent messages to several victims asking them to come over to his apartment, or, in another case, asking a victim what city she lived in so he could drive out to where she lived. He allegedly offered to give another victim a massage and sent the victim a picture of an undressed woman receiving a massage. Jamarino allegedly sent more than one victim photos of himself at a gun range and sent another victim a shirtless picture of himself with guns in the background, knowing that she was a victim of gun violence. More than one of the victims reported these images made them fear for their safety.

The criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The charge of second-degree official misconduct carries a sentence of five to 10 years in prison, including a mandatory period of five years of parole ineligibility, and a fine of up to $150,000.

Deputy Attorneys General Lisa Queen and Diana Bibb are assigned to prosecute the case for the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, under the supervision of OPIA Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Andrew Wellbrock, Corruption Bureau Chief Jeffrey J. Manis, and OPIA Executive Director Skinner.

If you believe you were a victim of Jamarino’s conduct, please contact Detective Elizabeth Lansing of OPIA at 609-376-6701. OPIA has a toll-free Tipline 1-844-OPIA-TIP for the public to report corruption. The AG’s Office has an Anti-Corruption Reward Program that offers a reward of up to $25,000 for tips leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption: http://nj.gov/oag/corruption/reward.html.

Defense Attorney:

Michael P. Koribanics, Esq., Clifton, N.J.