A former Department of Children and Families tech worker illegally accepted a bribe to share a confidential family case file, state prosecutors allege.
A state grand jury charged Susaida Nazario with receiving payments in 2021 in exchange for providing a confidential case file. They allege Nazario “misrepresented herself as a DCF caseworker” to a person involved in a case and then pursued and received monetary compensation for offering to disclose confidential information.
“Protecting children is one of my top priorities, and it is essential that those entrusted with protecting our children uphold the trust we place in them,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “DCF records are kept confidential by law to protect the life, safety, and welfare of children. Illegally disclosing that information, and putting vulnerable children at risk for personal gain, is unconscionable.”
Nazario faces four charges: bribery in official and political matters, acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior, official misconduct, and theft by deception. The former three are in the second degree, and the latter is in the third degree. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years, and third-degree charges carry a three-to-five year sentence.
She was initially charged in the case last year.
“The public rightfully expects that State employees with access to sensitive information about children will follow the law, perform their jobs with integrity, and act responsibly,” said Eric L. Gibson, executive director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “Instead, in this case, the defendant allegedly misused her access for her own benefit.”
