TRENTON -- Phil Zacche, a Jersey City cop for 38 years who rose to the rank of police chief in 2014, admitted in federal court today to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Jersey City Housing Authority.

Zacche, 61, admitted accepting money to work off duty as security for the housing agency and then not working a "substantial" number of those shifts. In the fifth-floor courtroom of U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson in Trenton this afternoon, he pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

The charge comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine. As part of Zacche's plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit $24,700.

Zacche becomes the 10th person to plead guilty in a wide-ranging federal probe of the Jersey City police department focused on cops who improperly took money related to the off-duty jobs program.

This latest black eye for the city's police department comes the same day it is mourning the loss of 49-year-old Lt. Christopher Robateau, who was struck and killed by a vehicle on the Turnpike on his way to work.

Zacche spoke only briefly during today's 30-minute court hearing, largely responding to yes-or-no questions from Wolfson. He declined to comment afterward.

"He made a decision that he regrets," said his attorney, Anthony J. Iacullo. "We believe his years of service are not reflected in what happened here today."

Of the 10 officers who have admitted participating in the off-duty jobs scheme, Zacche is the first to admit taking money from a public agency instead of a private company. Others have said they either took money from companies without performing the work they were hired to do or accepted bribes from other cops in exchange for approving fraudulent pay vouchers.

In court today, Zacche admitted charging the JCHA for as much as $31,700 between 2010 and 2014 for work he didn't perform. The agency had hired him to work off duty as security at the Marion Gardens public-housing complex, located on the west side of Jersey City near Route 440.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said in court today that federal prosecutors have phone records that would prove Zacche was "nowhere close" to Marion Gardens when he claimed to be working there.

Zacche did not admit taking any money from the agency after he became chief.

It's not clear what federal prosecutors' sentencing recommendation will be. Iacullo said that is still being worked out.

Rumors of Zacche's implication in the federal probe have been swirling since October. He retired as police chief abruptly in June. Mayor Steve Fulop appointed his replacement, Michael Kelly, on Wednesday.

Zacche was once commander of the city's north police district. He worked there with Juan Romaniello, who two years ago was the first cop to admit participating in the off-duty jobs scheme. Romaniello, who died in July before he could be sentenced, was in charge of assigning off-duty jobs to officers out of the north district.

The city is taking credit for forwarding the allegations against Zacche to prosecutors in 2015.

"We have zero tolerance for corruption or misconduct and today's actions speak to this," said city spokeswoman Kim Scalcione. "We will continue to work with the federal authorities to root out corruption."

Zacche was the second man Fulop appointed police chief after he became mayor in July 2013. He abruptly demoted the first, Robert Cowan, an action that led Cowan to level a host of accusations of political malfeasance directed at Fulop and James Shea, the city's public-safety director.

Zacche's sentencing is scheduled for April 9. The first of the other eight officers scheduled to be sentenced in the bribery scheme is set to appear in court on Jan. 25.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.