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Thomas L Rica, 43, of Hawthorne admitted going without authorization into the Village Hall room where the money was kept and, over the course of more than two years, walking out with a total of 1.8 million quarters.
Rica was fired in January 2013 after the thefts initially were discovered.
A year-long investigation then turned up the larger dollar amount.
Under a deal with prosecutors, Rica today pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Hackensack to four counts of theft.
He also agreed to pay back $69,600 at his June 6 sentencing and then $2,000 a month to the village during a five-year probation and for however long it takes to repay the total.
“It was just temptation,” defense attorney Robert Galantucci told reporters following the hearing. “He was in a room with a lot of money. He was raising a family and, as as result, he just thought that he could supplement his income.
“There is no excuse. He’s recognized that from the very first day I met him,” Galantucci added. “That why we’ve been in negotiations for well over a year to try and get this resolved.”
STORY: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter
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