TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber today
announced that two former Old Bridge Township,
Middlesex County, code officials were
sentenced in Middlesex County Superior
Court on charges they solicited and received
thousands of dollars in financial favors
from a developer doing business with the
Township.
"Attacking
government corruption is a priority of
the Attorney General’s Office. Any
official, at any level of government,
that abuses his or her office for personal
gain will be brought to justice,"
said Attorney General Farber.
Gregory A. Paw, Director, Division of
Criminal Justice, said that John P. Vincenti,
44, Tall Oaks Drive, Brick, Ocean County,
and Ronald Concannon, 69, Lakewood, Ocean
County, were sentenced by Middlesex County
Superior Court Judge Fred DeVesa on charges
of taking gifts while a public servant.
As part of the sentencing, Vincenti and
Concannon must fully cooperate with the
Division of Criminal Justice’s ongoing
corruption investigation related to the
Old Bridge Township engineering and code
department. In sentencing both defendants,
Judge DeVesa noted that the abuse of the
public trust was a significant aggravating
factor.
Director Paw said that Vincenti, the former
Director of Community Development and
Township Engineer for Old Bridge Township,
was ordered to pay a $5,000 criminal fine,
pay $3,500 to the state Antitrust Revolving
Fund (the amount of the financial service),
perform 100 hours of community service,
and serve three years probation. The Court
also ordered that Vincenti be forever
barred from government employment and,
significantly, from any consultant employment
that draws on prior government experience
or knowledge. Concannon was ordered to
pay a $4,000 criminal penalty, pay $3,000
to the Antitrust Revolving Fund, 400 hours
of community service, serve five years
probation, and permanent debarment from
future public employment.
Vincenti pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2005
to a charge of accepting gifts while a
public servant. A Jan. 12, 2005 State
Grand Jury indictment charged that from
May through August, 2003, Vincenti solicited
and received at least $3,500 for landscaping
services at his Ocean County residence.
The landscaping services were paid by
a representative of Atlantic Realty, an
Old Bridge developer which managed various
Old Bridge Township-area developments,
including Matchaponix Hills, Matchaponix
Estates (Rocky Creek), and Presidential
Estates. As Director of Community Development/Township
Engineer, Vincenti supervised the Township
engineering, planning and code enforcement
divisions and was responsible for overseeing
the permitting functions of the department,
including fee assessment and collection,
applications and plan review, permit issuance,
inspection and occupancy.
Concannon, a former Old Bridge code inspection
officer and construction official, pleaded
guilty on Jan. 5 to two counts of taking
gifts while a public servant. The Aug.
5, 2005 State Grand Jury indictment charged
that from August through October, 1998,
Concannon solicited and received $3,000
in replacement windows and household appliances.
The 11 replacement windows and a Sears
washer/dryer installed in Concannon’s
residence were paid for by Woodcliff Developers,
Inc., which was involved in the construction
of the Oxford Estates housing development
in Old Bridge Township.
A third defendant, Barry C. Bowers, 63,
Summit Drive, Point Pleasant, Ocean County,
a former Old Bridge Township construction
officer, pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2005
to a charge of official misconduct. In
pleading guilty, Bowers admitted that
he solicited and accepted more than $7,400
in home repairs from a construction company
doing business with the Township. Bowers
is scheduled to be sentenced in Middlesex
County Superior Court on March 31.
Assistant Attorney General and Deputy
Director Andrew Rossner and Deputy Attorney
General Steven Zweig coordinated the investigations.
Supervising State Investigator Kim Karasiewicz
and State Investigators Susan Marshall
and Kimberly Allen of the Antitrust Procurement
Fraud Unit conducted the investigation.
Additionally, the Division of Criminal
Justice investigation was assisted by
the administration of Old Bridge Mayor
James T. Phillips, the Old Bridge Township
Council, and the Office of Township Attorney.
The investigation tracked the 2003 report
compiled by the State Commission of Investigation
which detailed allegations of corruption
and favors in the county and municipal
home inspection process.
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