Ventnor City, NJ, Code Enforcement Officer Charged

A Ventnor City code enforcement officer has been charged with official misconduct.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says on Tuesday, 37-year-old Michelle Calderon of Egg Harbor Township was arrested and charged with the following:

Second-degree pattern of official misconduct
Second-degree official misconduct
Second-degree misapplication of entrusted property
Second-degree altering computer software to commit theft

Authorities say the charges stem from an investigation that began when the City of Ventnor observed a discrepancy within its financial ledgers.

It is alleged that from 2021 through 2023, Calderon took cash transactions from citizens and businesses intended as payment for various city permits and kept the cash for herself. She would then alter the balance sheets using a city-owned computer to cover up the discrepancies.

Ventnor NJ City Hall and Police Department - Photo: Google Maps

The total amount of cash taken exceeds $75,000.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.