His intellect and aggressive nature made former Jersey City school board President Sudhan Thomas one of the most prominent, vital figures in the city as the school district navigated a financial crisis created by deep cuts in state aid.
But it’s that same confidence and swagger that led to his downfall and eventually a two-month prison sentence.
“Sudhan was very good at bringing together different sort of actors under one roof,” said a former board member who asked not to be identified. “He was relentless. He was bright. He had a lot of what could’ve been an effective public servant.
“I think very often he felt he was the smartest man in the room. And that was part of his downfall.”
And Monday may have been the low point. The 48-year-old was sentenced to two months in prison after making a plea deal to federal embezzlement charges related to his time as executive director of the now-defunct Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP).
Thomas is free at least until the feds find a prison for him. Thomas, who is divorced and has a son, asked to be imprisoned close to home. He will also have two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $123,008 in restitution. The sentencing was first reported by Hudson County View.
As JCETP’s executive director, Thomas stole more than than $45,000 from the agency in 2019 to pay debts from his successful 2016 school board campaign. He drew checks from the program’s accounts that were made payable to others, but he kept the funds to pay off his debts and expenses.
Thomas told the court June 17 that he regrets his actions.
“I not only regret my actions, which I can assure the court is not the person I was raised to be or set out to be,” read the statement, which he shared with The Jersey Journal. “But I am deeply ashamed and personally hurt by all the resources the Department of Justice had to expend on account of me. I love our country, and this is a disappointment I will take to my grave.”
A senior district employee and former board member, who also asked not to be identified, told The Jersey Journal that Thomas, who served on the board from 2016 to 2020, could just as easily dazzle or frighten his colleagues.
Both acknowledged his aggressive behavior, but credited Thomas for pushing a lawsuit against the state related to underfunding the city schools and switching insurance premiums saving the district millions.
“Some things he did were very profitable,” the senior district employee said. “He had a vision of what he wanted and he had no problem going after it … he was not bound by convention and I would say that is what really got him in trouble.
“He was not appreciated by many (including fellow board members) … but he got them to sway his way by threats or convincing them.”
Under his leadership, Thomas also was the driving force behind a $4 million shared service deal that transferred certain costs from the district to the city, including trash and other services. He also fought for New Jersey City University to renew its contract to continue operating the A. Harry Moore School, which educates children with multiple disabilities.
The former board member recalled that Thomas had a plan he could be relentless and getting others on board. Thomas had no shame calling someone 50 times to get what he wanted.
Despite the effusive praise for Thomas, no one was shocked by his criminal charges, the senior district employee said.
Thomas is still awaiting trial on state charges that while school board president and eyeing a city council run, he accepted $35,000 in bribes in exchange for giving a real estate attorney work with the school district.
The next hearing will occur on July 11 in Somerset County Superior Court in Somerville.
“He was always kind of a take-charge guy,” said Hudson County Board of Commissioners member Bill O’Dea, who supported Thomas in his 2016 school board race. “His approach and style made him some enemies.”
Thomas also knew how to play Hudson County politics.
When he first ran for the school board, Thomas got O’Dea’s blessing by telling him that he already received the support of Mayor Steve Fulop and then-state Sen. Sandy Cunningham. O’Dea, who’s running for mayor in 2025, found out years later used the same ruse, saying he had O’Dea’s support, to win over Fulop and Cunningham.
After what many considered a stunning school board defeat, Thomas was appointed by Fulop in 2020 to replace former Gov. Jim McGreevey as the acting executive director of JCETP — a transition that included bombshell accusations that were never substantiated, that McGreevey moved millions in JCETP funds into his nonprofit New Jersey Reentry Corp., which provided many of the same services as JCETP.
His time at JCETP did not last long. Amid allegations of mismanagement and embezzlement, Thomas resigned from the position after six months. Under is brief tenure, multiple board members resigned.
But McGreevey shares no bad blood over his history with Thomas, who voted for him to be fired. He hopes Thomas is given house arrest in place of prison and offered him a place with New Jersey Reentry “as he begins to rebuild his life.”
“Thomas, as have we all, has made mistakes, but he is a good father and has been extraordinarily attentive to his son,” McGreevey, a current candidate for Jersey City mayor in 2025, said. “(In finding a second chance) it is an examination of conscience. For me, it’s prayer of life on a consistent basis, humility, and a commitment to service.”
