A Ventnor code enforcement officer has been charged with stealing over $75,000 in payments meant for city permits, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. Michelle Calderon, 37, from Egg Harbor Township, has been accused of multiple charges, including pattern of official misconduct, official misconduct, misapplication of entrusted property, and altering computer software to commit theft.
An investigation was launched after the city discovered a discrepancy in its financial records. Investigators from Ventnor police and the Prosecutor’s Office found that Calderon had been pocketing cash transactions intended as payment for various city permits from 2021 through 2023. Calderon, who earned a yearly salary of $42,000, allegedly used a city-owned computer to alter the balance sheets and cover up the discrepancies.
The city’s code enforcement office was temporarily closed in June while authorities investigated the discrepancies in its records. City officials declined to comment at the time.
This is an ongoing story, and updates will be provided as they become available.
