Former Plum teacher sentenced for sex crimes against child

A former substitute teacher at Plum High School has been sentenced to 3-6 years in jail and must register as a Megan's Law offender.

Michael Cinefra, of Verona, must also surrender his teaching certificate.

Cinefra was a substitute teacher at Plum from October 2010 until June 2014. Police said he had sex with a 15-year-old girl.

He pleaded guilty in September to charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person younger than 16, unlawful contact with a minor, institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Cinefra was ordered to have no contact with the victim or the victim's family. He started serving his sentence Wednesday. Once he gets out of prison, he will be on probation for at least five years.

Three other Plum teachers were also arrested in 2015, and Cinefra is the fourth and final teacher to be sentenced. However, during the sentencing, the judge said that more people in the district should have been indicted.

Teachers Jason Cooper and Joseph Ruggieri were charged in February 2015 with having sex with female students.

Under a plea agreement, Cooper, 39, will spend 18 to 36 months in prison with a five-year probation stint and a lifetime requirement that he register as a sex offender.

Joseph Ruggieri will spend two to five years in prison after pleading guilty. In addition to his prison sentence, he will spend five years on probation and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Drew Zoldak was charged with witness intimidation. Zoldak was accused of identifying Ruggieri's accuser in class. A jury found him not guilty in June.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 

• Another ex-Plum teacher charged in sex scandal pleads guilty (Nov. 3, 2016)

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