Albert Coutinho (29)

Albert Coutinho was a Democratic politician who represented New Jersey's 29th Legislative District in the General Assembly. Born on June 16, 1969, he served briefly from May 1997 to January 1998 and again from January 8, 2008, until resigning on September 11, 2013, after pleading guilty to theft and falsifying records related to stealing from his family charity; he received probation. A resident of Newark's Ironbound section and leader in the Portuguese-American community, he also served as an Essex County Utilities Authority Commissioner from 1992 to 1998. Coutinho died on March 29, 2026, at age 56, in a car crash in Newark.

Education and Political Experience

Limited public records detail his formal education. His political career included early service on the Essex County Utilities Authority and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly for the 29th District , focusing on job creation, recreational spaces, and workforce reentry reforms. Notable positions ended with his 2013 resignation due to legal issues.