Former Lumberton Township Mayor Gina LaPlaca and her husband, Jason Carty, have been charged with election fraud related to LaPlaca's nominating petition for a Democratic primary race. Prosecutors allege that fraudulent signatures were used, which would have prevented LaPlaca from qualifying for the ballot without the falsified entries.
LaPlaca, 47, and Carty, 49, face charges including making a false statement under oath, knowingly filing a false petition, tampering with public records, and falsifying or tampering with records, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office. The petition included an affidavit signed by LaPlaca asserting that she personally circulated the document and that all signatures were made by the signers in their own handwriting.
An investigation revealed that multiple individuals whose names and signatures appeared on the petition stated they had not signed it nor authorized anyone to sign on their behalf. Without these allegedly fraudulent signatures, LaPlaca's petition would not have met the requirements to be a candidate for the June 2026 Democratic primary for the Lumberton Township Committee.
LaPlaca and Carty are scheduled for a court appearance on September 21 in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
LaPlaca served as mayor of Lumberton Township from 2021 to 2025. She remains a member of the township committee, with her current term ending this year. She sought re-election to the committee in the recent Democratic primary but did not secure one of the two open seats, finishing third.
These charges follow a separate DUI case. Earlier this year, LaPlaca pleaded guilty to DUI and child abuse charges stemming from an incident in March 2025. During that incident, prosecutors stated LaPlaca was intoxicated while picking up her child from daycare. Witness video showed her vehicle swerving and nearly hitting a utility pole. Her blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.30%, more than three times the legal limit. She was sentenced to three years of supervision under a pretrial intervention program, including mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.