Story by Ethan
On October 3rd, 2025, the arrest of Shayion Brooks, age 37, was announced by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Shayion Brooks was charged with third-degree of Theft by Unlawful Taking, fourth-degree Falsifying or Tampering With Public Records, and fourth-degree False Swearing. The arrest and charges against Shayion Brooks were a result of an investigation handled by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, between June 2020 and September 2021, allegedly the defendant had been receiving unemployment benefits for 58 weeks while simultaneously being employed full-time with the state of New Jersey. Shayion Brooks allegedly used the New Jersey Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance website and falsely filed for unemployment benefits with falsified insurance claims. In October 2022, the New Jersey Department of Labor noticed that Shayion Brooks was receiving unemployment benefits while employed full-time, and required her to testify under oath at a tribunal hearing on July 30th, 2024. Shayion Brooks testified that she was a victim of identity fraud and that she was not the individual that filed for unemployment benefits. However further investigation revealed that the unemployment funds were being dispersed into the same bank account that Shayion Brooks would receive paychecks from the state. Evidence recovered includes withdrawal slips with Shayion Brook’s signature on them.
The Attorney General’s Office stated that the charges against Shayion Brooks are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
