Newark Woman Charged With Bilking Emergency Rental Assistance Programs
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 7:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
ELIZABETH, NJ.- Last Wednesday, following a financial crimes investigation, a 59-year-old Newark, New Jersey, woman was taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with an elaborate fraud scheme that bilked multiple individuals out of around $600,000.
According to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Joyce Kirkland, 59, of Newark, New Jersey, was formally charged with 29 counts of second-degree and third-degree offenses, including theft, money laundering, forgery, and criminal impersonation. During the morning hours of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Kirkland was taken into custody at Newark residence without incident.
After being processed on the charges, Kirkland was remanded to the Union County Jail, pending future court proceedings in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Investigation Uncovers $600,000 Fraud Scheme
The charges result from an investigation that uncovered Kirkland forging names on a property deed and fraudulently collecting funds from the falsified transaction. Further investigation revealed a complex web of money laundering, thefts, forgeries, and criminal impersonations committed against multiple victims, including the State of New Jersey, as she falsified documents to obtain over $300,000 from Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
In addition, Kirkland also forged the names of deceased individuals and other parties on real estate transaction records, obtained credit cards, negotiated checks, and conducted other fraudulent banking activities in the names of several other victims. The total amount of the thefts exceeded $600,000.
“The arrest highlights the devastating impact of financial crimes, especially those targeting vulnerable individuals,” stated Prosecutor Daniel. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who exploit the trust of others for personal gain.”
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit Detective Jessica Tattoli at (908) 527-4325. All calls and information will be kept confidential.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
