Two new jersey women, enter pretrial program for wiretapping mayor and deputy mayor

FLEMINGTON, NJ — Two women from Hunterdon County have been admitted into the Pretrial Intervention (PTI) Program after being charged with violating the New Jersey Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act by secretly recording private conversations of Readington Township officials, authorities announced.

The women were part of a GOP primary election in which they were found wiretapping their opponent.

Christina Albrecht, 45, of Flemington, and Jacqueline Hindle, 49, of Whitehouse Station, were enrolled in the PTI program for 30 months by Judge Christopher J. Garrenger. As part of their enrollment, both women are required to undergo mental health evaluations, follow any recommended treatment, complete community service, and avoid contact with the victims except under limited circumstances.

The charges stem from an incident on July 1, 2024, when Albrecht placed an audio recording device on a metal fence surrounding the patio at The Rail at Readington. The device captured private conversations between Readington Township Mayor Adam Mueller and Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico. Albrecht later retrieved the device, transcribed the recordings, and shared them with Hindle, who stored them on a shared drive and discussed them with Albrecht.

On July 8, 2024, Albrecht returned to The Rail, which was closed at the time, and placed the device on the fence again. After the device was turned over to police, investigators uncovered plans by Albrecht and Hindle to purchase another recording device to continue secretly recording the officials.

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