TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that the Division of Criminal
Justice has obtained indictments charging
three former administrators and a former
shop foreman at the Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commission with directing subordinate employees
to complete repairs or improvements at the
private homes of the administrators or people
close to them while the subordinates were
on duty for the PVSC.
According
to Director Taylor, the three former high-level
administrators for the PVSC were charged
in three separate state grand jury indictments
which were voted yesterday and handed up
in court today. Those men, who were initially
arrested on Feb. 1 by detectives of the
Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau, are:
- Anthony
Ardis, 57, of Paterson, a former PVSC
Commissioner who later served as Clerk
to the Board of Commissioners, Director
of Management Services and Chief Ethics
Liaison Officer for the PVSC;
- Kevin
Keogh, 45, of Roseland, former Superintendent
for Special Services at the PVSC; and
- Chester
Mazza, 70, of Totowa, former Assistant
Superintendent for Special Services.
The
indictments charging Ardis and Keogh also
name Paul Bazela, 44, of Northvale, the
former foreman of the PVSC carpenter’s
shop. It is alleged that, at the direction
of Ardis and Keogh, Bazela ordered carpenters
and other skilled workers he supervised
to go to the homes of Keogh and Ardis’
mother and girlfriend while on agency time
to complete repairs and improvements using
agency vehicles, tools and equipment. Bazela
also allegedly accompanied the workers in
some instances to supervise and assist with
the projects. Bazela, who is the mayor of
Northvale, was shop foreman from April 2006
to May 2010, when he was promoted to a higher
level of operations supervisor. None of
the three administrators paid for the work
performed for them.
“We
allege that Ardis, Keogh and Mazza used
their power and influence as senior administrators
at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission
to exploit subordinates as free labor for
their personal projects, and that Bazela
assisted in this conduct by using his direct
authority over these skilled workers,”
said Attorney General Dow. “We are
determined to root out this type of abuse
of public office.”
“By
allegedly taking PVSC employees away during
their regular shifts to serve as their personal
handymen, these defendants stole from the
public,” said Director Taylor. “They
are also charged with theft for treating
agency vehicles, tools and equipment like
their own property.”
Ardis,
Keogh and Mazza are each charged with conspiracy
(2nd degree), official misconduct (2nd degree),
pattern of official misconduct (2nd degree)
and theft by unlawful taking or disposition
(3rd degree). Bazela faces two counts of
each of those charges, because he is named
in those counts in both the Ardis and Keogh
indictments. Keogh is charged by himself
with additional counts of official misconduct
(2nd degree), pattern of official misconduct
(2nd degree) and theft by unlawful taking
(3rd degree) for alleged instances in which
he personally directed subordinate employees
to perform personal errands or repairs for
him without arranging it through Bazela.
The
PVSC is a state agency responsible for managing
and regulating collection and disposal of
wastewater generated in a four-county area
along the Passaic Valley River Basin, encompassing
parts of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson
counties. The charges stem from an ongoing
investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice Corruption Bureau. The investigation
is being conducted and coordinated by Deputy
Attorney General Jeffrey J. Manis, Sgt.
Lisa Shea and Detective Michael Behar. DAG
Manis presented the indictments to the state
grand jury.
With
respect to Ardis, it is alleged specifically
that on two occasions, between 2008 and
2009, two PVSC employees were directed to
go to the home of Ardis’ mother in
Paterson, while on agency time, to tear
down sheet rock in the garage. On another
occasion, between 2007 and 2008, three PVSC
employees were allegedly directed to install
wood panels and hook up a microwave in the
kitchen of the mother while on duty for
the PVSC. It is further alleged that in
2009, a PVSC employee was directed to go
to the home of Ardis’ girlfriend on
two occasions during his regular agency
work shifts to replace air conditioning
units in her bedroom and den.
With
respect to Keogh, it is alleged that between
March 2006 and May 2010, he had PVSC employees
perform numerous tasks for him during their
regular shifts for the agency. On one occasion,
two employees were allegedly directed to
remove old windows and install replacement
windows in two bedrooms at Keogh’s
private residence in Roseland. On another
occasion, two PVSC employees allegedly installed
latticework underneath a deck at Keogh’s
home. On a third occasion, two other agency
employees were allegedly directed to install
two cabinet doors in Keogh’s kitchen.
One of the employees allegedly had been
directed to cut and finish the doors in
the workshop at the sewage treatment plant.
In
connection with the counts naming Keogh
alone, it is alleged that Keogh had a mechanic
from the PVSC’s vehicle maintenance
department remove an old pool pump motor
from his swimming pool, and subsequently
had that mechanic and a second mechanic
assemble a new pool pump motor and install
it at his house. In the winter of 2009,
Keogh allegedly had two employees from the
vehicle maintenance department come to his
home during a snowstorm, while on agency
time, to repair the chute on his snowblower.
It is further alleged that Keogh directed
PVSC employees to carry out numerous other
personal errands for him while on agency
time, including putting up holiday decorations
at his home and picking up landscaping items
and other personal supplies from Home Depot
and Lowe’s and delivering them to
his home, including plants, fertilizer,
a propane tank, decorative stone and pool
supplies.
With
respect to Mazza, it is alleged that on
one occasion, two employees for the PVSC
were directed to install a vent or fan in
the roof of Mazza’s home in Totowa
while on agency time. On another occasion,
three agency employees, including two masons,
were allegedly directed to repair a masonry
wall in front of Mazza’s home while
on their regular shifts for the PVSC.
Ardis,
Keogh and Mazza were immediately terminated
following their arrests in February. Each
man is free on $75,000 bail. Bazela’s
employment at the PVSC was terminated earlier
this year. If convicted, Bazela would be
required to forfeit his job as mayor of
Northvale.
The
second-degree offenses carry a maximum sentence
of 10 years in state prison. For each defendant,
conduct is alleged that occurred after April
14, 2007, when enhanced penalties for official
misconduct took effect. As a result, each
defendant would face a mandatory minimum
sentence of five years in prison without
possibility of parole if convicted based
on that alleged conduct. The second-degree
offenses also carry a fine of up to $150,000.
Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of five years in prison and a fine of up
to $15,000.
The
indictments are merely accusations and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty. The indictments were handed up to
Superior Court Judge Pedro J. Jimenez Jr.
in Mercer County, who assigned them to Passaic
County.
Attorney
General Dow and Director Taylor noted that
the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption
Tipline for the public to report corruption,
financial crime and other illegal activities.
The statewide Corruption Tipline is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Additionally, the public can log on to the
Division of Criminal Justice Web page at
www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing.
All information received through the Division
of Criminal Justice Corruption Tipline or
Web page will remain confidential.
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