2003-07-11 -- Auriemma, Joseph -- Sentencing -- News Release

Former North Bergen Township Administrator Sentenced to 36 Months for Corruption Conviction

NEWARK - Former North Bergen Township Administrator and North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority Director of Operations Joseph Auriemma was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, for accepting corrupt cash payments and free home improvements from a contractor with town contracts and concealing his receipt of the benefits, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

U.S. District Judge Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. also ordered Auriemma to pay North Bergen Township $33,792 in restitution - the value of the corrupt benefits he received - and a fine of $7,500.

Judge Greenaway ordered Auriemma, 55, to begin serving his sentence at a date to be determined by the Bureau of Prisons. Auriemma must also serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Auriemma had faced a likely range of 27 to 33 months in prison. But following government and defense arguments at the sentencing hearing, Judge Greenaway ruled in favor of the government and imposed a sentencing enhancement after finding that Auriemma obstructed the corruption investigation into him and others.

There is no parole in the federal system, and Auriemma will serve nearly all of the sentence imposed by Judge Greenaway.

"This is a good, stiff sentence for a public official who corrupted and tainted government in North Bergen and Hudson County," Christie said. "This should stand as both a deterrent to others and set an example for those already under the microscope for corrupt activities."

"The investigation into corruption in North Bergen and Hudson County is ongoing," Christie said.

Auriemma, who was indicted in June 2002, pleaded guilty on Sept. 20, 2002, to using the U.S. mails in connection with a scheme to deprive the citizens of North Bergen of money, property and his honest services as a public official, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Clark, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.

Seeking an enhanced the prison sentence, Clark described Auriemma's attempt to impede the investigation of him. In a two-and-a-half-hour tape-recorded conversation, Auriemma told government cooperating witness Leonard Farinola to lie to investigators, instructed Farinola to get others to lie to investigators and made a threat regarding another potential witness.

Farinola, a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contractor, pleaded guilty in February to making corrupt payments to numerous North Bergen and MUA officials in the form of cash, free construction work, and other benefits, in order to obtain, keep and overbill contracts with the township and the MUA. Farinola specifically identified Auriemma, Peter Perez, Vincent Zappulla, and Joseph Hernandez as people who had accepted corrupt payment. Each of those individuals has already pleaded guilty to federal corruption or fraud charges. Farinola also admitted that he made illegal payments to other North Bergen officials, although they were not named. Each of those defendants awaits sentencing.

At his plea hearing, Auriemma admitted that while serving as the North Bergen Administrator and as Director of Operations at the North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA), he accepted free work to his house and his vacation home from Farinola. Auriemma admitted to intentionally concealing his receipt of improper personal benefits by failing to disclose them on financial disclosure statements which were filed with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs pursuant to the local government ethics laws.

Specifically, Auriemma admitted accepting free work on his personal residence from the vendor during the period from 1993 through 2000, including roof and skylight repairs in 1993 and 1994, a renovated bathroom in 1995, an entirely new roof and gutters in 1996, a new outdoor shed and renovations to the garage in 1998, a new air conditioning condenser unit in 1998, and a new heat pump air conditioner/heater at his Wildwood vacation home in 2000. Auriemma admitted that during this time frame he took official actions related to the vendor's North Bergen and MUA contracts and receipt of payments under those contracts. He further admitted that he knew that the free renovations and other benefits were offered to him to influence him to take favorable action on the vendor's behalf.

Auriemma also admitted to taking steps to cover up his illegal conduct. In addition to falsifying financial disclosure forms required of public officials in order to conceal his receipt of illegal benefits, Auriemma admitted to one instance in which he wrote a check to make it appear as if he had paid for work done on his home but then received the money back in a cash payment.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Louie F. Allen, for their work in the Auriemma cases and North Bergen corruption probe.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clark, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney's Criminal Division in Newark.

-end-

Defense Attorney: John Whipple, Esq. Morristown