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MORRISTOWN — The former treasurer of the Mine Hill Fire Department was sentenced today to three years in prison for stealing $330,000 from the department over a six-year period.

Lisa Ayers, 40, of Mine Hill, pleaded guilty in October to theft, admitting that she embezzled the money regularly from 2007 through 2013 and used it for personal expenses, including her family’s mortgage and two car loans.

Under terms of the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz in Morristown, Ayers must pay $228,631 in restitution and must serve nine months before she will become eligible for parole.

She may also apply for admission into the state’s Intensive Supervision Program, which would allow her to be released from prison a few months earlier than her parole date.

Ayers’ attorney, Paul Selitto, had asked that Ayers serve probation only, noting that she has already repaid more than $100,000 and stole the money only because she was “desperate to provide for her family,” which includes her husband and two daughters.

Crestfallen by the judge’s ruling, Ayers wept profusely as she was placed in handcuffs afterward. “I love you all,” she told numerous family members who were crying in the courtroom.

Earlier, Ayers had apologized to the court for her actions, saying, “I made a huge and terrible mistake.”

Deputy Attorney General Anthony Picione had asked for a five-year sentence. He said Ayers embezzled the money hundreds of times and the discrepancies were discovered after she failed to repay a loan for a new roof at the fire station.

The thefts included 53 checks totaling $77,661 to pay the mortgage loan on her home, more than $22,000 in payments for two car loans and 224 ATM withdrawals totaling $68,000, Picione said.

“People do various things when they are in a financial hardship,” Picione said. “Not everyone chooses to steal.”

• Mine Hill woman admits embezzling $330K from fire department to pay her mortgage, cars loans

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Photo Credit: TAPinto Roxbury

By Fred J. Aun

PublishedSeptember 8, 2022 at 5:16 PM

ROXBURY, NJ – Taken by surprise by County Concrete Corp.’s plan to fill in part of a local lake and reroute the Black River, the township recently peppered the state with 22 questions and comments about the project.

The concrete company has asked the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for permission to fill in a section of Rutgers Pond, also known as Sunset Lake. The body of water, created by many years of quarrying, lies on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border adjacent to County Concrete's Kenvil facility.

In its nearly

, County Concrete proposes to spend seven years to 10 years filling in about 16 acres of the 56-acre pond. It wants to use, as fill, “sifted native soils” currently being stored at its Kenvil plant.

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'Additional Land Mass?'

In a letter to the DEP, Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd said town officials have many “questions and concerns with respect to the application” and he asked the state to take Roxbury’s input into consideration prior to the issuance of any permit.

The first question asked in Shepherd’s letter relates to potential uses for the “new land” that would be created.

“The fill activity will enlarge three existing residential developed and zoned properties,” he wrote. “Will the additional land mass provide an opportunity for further development of the properties and/or residential subdivision? Can the new land be taxed (currently farmland assessed) or does any DEP regulation prohibit additional taxation?”

Shepherd’s letter notes County Concrete currently has three quarry/mining/extraction operations taking place in Roxbury. It said the company should be required to complete those operations before winning approval for the new project “so the disruption to adjacent residents can cease” to occur.

“The Township is concerned that fill for these projects will be diverted for the Black River Restoration and the impacts to the Roxbury residents will continue for a longer period,” wrote Shepherd. “The Township is opposed to any material being used for fill which has been generated at some location other than the County Concrete quarrying operations in Roxbury and Mine Hill townships.”

The township also wants to know the source of topsoil that would be used once the fill material is in place. “While the fill material may come from sites in Roxbury or Mine Hill townships, where is the source of topsoil coming from? Organic matter will be needed for plant and seed installation. In addition, clay material is specified to stabilize the channel bed and banks,” says the letter.

Thousands of Trucks

Shepherd says town officials are concerned about truck traffic on local roads. He notes that County Concrete proposes to use nearly 600,000 cubic yards of fill material for the project. “That amount equals approximately 30,000 to 35,000 truckloads or 60,000 to 70,000 truck trips,” says the letter, adding that the use by those trucks of Green Lane would be a big problem.

“Green Lane is a narrow, residential road which is in poor condition and would be heavily damaged by this significant truck traffic,” Shepherd wrote. “As such, Roxbury Township is opposed to the utilization of Green Lane or any other township street which has residential property uses for accessing the site via truck. The Township is concerned with the wear and tear on any road within the township over the course of a 7- to 10-year time frame.”

The letter says Roxbury also “objects to any work at the site, including delivery of material, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. It asks for details about the “landscape restoration” being proposed, as well as a plan for future site maintenance.

“How are downstream properties protected from flooding and erosion as the stream embankments become established?” Shepherd asks. “Continuous monitoring and maintenance are necessary over the anticipated 7- to 10-year construction period to establish the embankment. The construction duration is concerning since there will be significant time periods where there will not be any construction activity, especially between May 1 and July 31, to protect spawning fish in the pond. Any control measures which have been compromised will have negative sediment deposition downstream of the project area.”

Water Table Worries

The final point raised in Shepherd’s letter relates to the project’s potential impact on private wells in the area. It points out that County Concrete proposes pumping up to 750 gallons of water per minute of water.

“Will pumping lower the water elevation for an extended period?” asks Shepherd. “If so, will there be a negative impact to the existing private wells in the area? Roxbury Township private well owners have, recently, experienced negative impacts from water pumping activities related to County Concrete mining/pumping operations.”

In an email, Shepherd said there has been no direct communication between County Concrete and the township about the project. Town officials have expressed their unhappiness.

"They want to reroute the Black River and that certainly goes through my ward," said Roxbury Deputy Mayor Jaki Albrecht, a Kenvil resident, at the Roxbury Township Council's Aug. 9 meeting. "I'm not pleased with that at all."

At that meeting, both Roxbury Mayor Jim Rilee and Shepherd said the town was taken by surprise by the proposal. "I have spoken with Russ (Stern), our planning director, who is looking at the project as possibly land development, soil moving and something that would go in front of our planning board," Shepherd told the council.

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MINE HILL - A popular natural spring has closed its gates, citing the high cost of mandated testing as the reason for shutting down the Canfield Avenue watering hole.

The water at Artisan Spring Hill at Canfield still runs as it always does, but now in addition to being protected from non-members by a steel cage, it’s under heavy lock and chains, preventing anyone from accessing the spring.

Tuesday, the gate appeared to be damaged and a box at the front of the cage contained pieces of paper with a statement from the Paschal family, the spring’s owners for nearly half a century, about the immediate closure of the spring.

“Due to the high cost of New Jersey mandated drinking water tests, we are forced to permanently close the spring immediately,” read the statement.

“The water laboratory projected the cost for fourth quarter water testing to be $540 – same as it was last quarter. We cannot afford to continue covering this cost, and have to avoid further fourth quarter water testing fees. We cannot legally provide this water without testing and reporting the results to the state of New Jersey.”

The costs for people to access the spring was a requested $10 donation per quarter, plus an initial $10 membership fee and security deposit.

“It is with deep regret that we can no longer keep the spring open, but donations could not come close to covering our mandated operating costs, and we can no longer afford to carry it,” the statement concluded. “Thanks to those of you who contributed on a regular basis and tried to keep the spring available to all.”

The spring’s website, http://www.springhillatcanfield.com/, which contained testing results and other information, is also no longer operational.

Phone calls to the number previously on that website are now greeted by an automated message, saying it closed due to high cost of testing on Nov. 2.

According to the website “Find A Spring,” Spring Hill was discovered by the Paschal family more than 30 years ago and produces about 125,000 gallons of water per day. It is one of less than a dozen New Jersey springs listed on the website and the only one in Morris County.

The water from the spring is 49 degrees year-round, and flows from a crack in a granite ledge.

Mottel Baleston stopped by the spring to fill three jugs Tuesday afternoon, and was disappointed to find it closed.

“I thought I had until December 31 to fill,” Baleston said, referencing a mailbox on the fence surrounding the spring that states a closing date of Dec. 31, 2015. “I just started using it four months ago and paid for the year.”

Baleston, 60, of Roxbury said he was saddened to see the spring closed, but not angry.

“Last time I was here there were three other people in line to fill jugs so there is a demand for it,” Baleston said. “It’s very good water, an important resource for the community.”

There may still be hope that the cage reopens to the public though, according to Mine Hill Mayor Sam Morris.

“The town would like to discuss with the owner possibly buying it after New Year’s,” Morris said. “It’s apparently very good water and I am hopeful we can have a meaningful discussion with them.”

The spring’s owners could not be reached for comment.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; [email protected]

MINE HILL, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A family in Morris County was left with a major bill to pay, after a history of mining in their town came back to haunt them.

As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, a giant sink hole just 14 feet from the family's Mine Hill home opened up last week. It's a remnant of an old mine that existed long before West Randolph Avenue did.

"I was coming home from work and walking up the steps and I noticed the big hole in the side of the yard," Andrew Kauf said.

He discovered the 19-foot deep hole on December 30. The next morning he said he was woken up by a loud thud. The hole had gotten bigger, creating another smaller opening.

The family was on pins and needles, afraid that the house will fall in.

Engineers assured them that will not happen.

The house has been in the Kauf family since the 1970s. He said he knew about old mines dating back to the Revolutionary War, but never expected after all these years that one would open up.

"A few houses down basements fell in," he said.

Luckily there were no gas lines below, and other utilities seem to be a safe distance away, but the cost to fill the hole is high at $10,000 and up.

Large boulders are needed, and it's not cheap to transport them.

The mayor said the Kauf's sink hole isn't the only one. Another one, about 20 feet deep, was discovered by someone walking their dog.

Sam Morris has been the mayor for five years.

"Since I've been mayor seven active holes that opened up, three residential, four on non," Morris explained.

Support beams were visible in the woods off Canfield Avenue.

"What you would call entry hole to mine shaft, clear hole in the bed rock which is what you need to get through to the iron ore," Morris explained.

The mayor has been working with state officials to find remediation funds.

"In the early 90s one of the governors thought it was a good idea to stop contributing to this and New Jersey opted out," Morris said.

State Senator Tony Bucco acknowledged that this is a serious issue.

"I have already engaged environmental and labor officials to identify adequate funding to provide to the community," Bucco said.

For now, Kauf is left to deal with the issue on his own. He's hoping that forecast rain over the weekend won't cause more damage.

Sinkholes from old mines are an issue in neighboring Rockaway Township, Randolph, Chester Township, and Ringwood.

ROXBURY, NJ – (Updated 10:30 p.m.) An online fundraiser has been established to cover the costs associated of returning to Guatemala the bodies of two brothers who drowned Tuesday in Mine Hill.

The GoFundMe site, viewable here, was set up by Randolph resident Alan Verá, a friend and co-worker of the victims.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, which is handling publicity related to the incident, has not released much information about the victims other than to describe them as Hispanic and being 17 years old and 22 years old.

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“The case is still an active investigation with no further information to release at this time,” said prosecutor’s office Agent Paul Merkler in an email.

However, Verá said the victims were named Jesus and Arnulfo Del Cid Sifuentes. He said they have a 29-year-old brother, Jose, living in the area, but their parents are still in Guatemala. Verá, who works at the Kenvil IHOP, said the brothers also worked there.

According to Verá, Jesus was the older sibling. He drowned in Sunset Lake in Mine Hill on Tuesday evening while attempting to rescue Arnulfo, who’d fallen into the water, he said.

A Hidden Lake Bottom Ditch

Verá said the brothers had just gotten to the lake when the accident happened. "They were just playing around, talking" when Arnulfo went into the water a short way and slid down an underwater ditch.

"He took like ten steps and then the ditch went down to a different level, like 22 feet down," he said. Verá said Jesus' attempts at rescuing his younger brother were likely complicated by roots and deep mud on the lake bottom, elements that also made difficult the recovery of the bodies, according to authorities.

Verá, is hoping to gather $40,000. On his fundraising page, he described Jesus El Cid Sifuentes as his “little brother” and said he was a happy and loving young man.

“If you ask me about the meaning of joy … I would describe Jesus as ‘The Little Brother’ because he reflected the meaning of life: Living happily every day and making others happy,” wrote Verá. “His big heart and his desire to get ahead made him bring his little brother ‘Arnulfo’ … who in less than a month stole everyone's heart.”

Verá added, “That same love led him to give his life for him in his attempt to rescue him from the waters of the lake.”

Verá said the money will be used to “cover the expenses that the repatriation of both bodies to their families and to their country,” adding that “Any help is welcome to get his parents to give him a Christian burial.”

More TAPinto Roxbury coverage:

Bodies of Two Drowning Victims Recovered from Lake on Roxbury Border

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