Randolph man gets 3 years for $113K theft

A former Morris County court official has been sentenced to three years in state prison for keeping $112,875 in civil judgment monies that he collected but which he was supposed to turn over to creditors.

Scott Forsbrey, 54, of Randolph, had pleaded guilty in June to official misconduct and was sentenced Tuesday by state Superior Court Judge Catherine Enright in Morristown to three years in prison. He must serve two of the three years behind bars before he becomes eligible for parole, said Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Foy.

Forsbrey has repaid about $24,000 of the pilfered funds but has agreed to make restitution of $112,875 to the state of New Jersey.  He also has agreed to never seek public employment again in New Jersey.

Forsbrey was employed as a special civil part officer, also referred to as a constable, and his job involved collecting civil judgments from parties and making sure the money was turned over to creditors or parties who had secured judgments in their favor. He was entitled to a commission but knowingly kept more than he was allowed to between January 2010 and April 2012.

“I never intended to steal it. I mismanaged the account,” Forsbrey had stated during his guilty plea, referring to the special government account into which collected

The theft was discovered in an audit undertaken by the state Administrative Office of the Courts and led to Forsbrey resigning in 2012, according to authorities.

 Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.