TRENTON
- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey today
announced that two former Parsons employees
assigned to a Middlesex County motor vehicle
inspection station have pleaded guilty
to charges they solicited cash bribes
from motorists in exchange for ignoring
vehicle deficiencies and to allow "failed"
vehicles to "pass" the inspection
process.
"Prosecuting
corruption is a priority for our office,"
Attorney General Harvey said. "We
have stepped-up our efforts to investigate
and prosecute government employees who
would subvert their position by engaging
in illegal activities such as bribery,
theft, document fraud and related crimes."
Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division of
Criminal Justice, in the Attorney General's
Office, said that David Gadomski, 23,
Old Neilly Court, Old Bridge, Middlesex
County and Daniel Pineda, 30, West 6th
Street, Plainfield, Union County, today
pleaded guilty before Middlesex County
Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa
to a charge of official misconduct. In
accepting the guilty pleas, Judge DeVesa
rejected the defendants request to be
placed in the Pre-Trial Intervention Program
(PTI) and immediately sentenced them to
serve two years probation and to pay all
court costs. The defendants were also
barred from holding future public employment.
Director McKoy noted that Pineda and Gadmoski,
employed by the Parsons Inspection &
Maintenance Corporation and assigned to
the Kilmer Parsons Vehicle Inspection
Facility located on Kilmer Road, Highland
Park, Edison, Middlesex County, were charged
via a State Grand Jury indictment returned
on Oct. 28. The indictment, which charged
Pineda and Gadomski with bribery and official
misconduct, alleged that on Aug. 17, 2001,
Gadomski, employed as an Assistant Lane
Technician, and Pineda, employed as a
Senior Lane Technician, solicited a cash
bribe from a motorist. In exchange for
the bribe, it was charged that Gadomski
and Pineda tampered with vehicle inspection
reports to allow the vehicle to pass the
inspection process. Both Gadomski and
Pineda were terminated from their employment
with Parsons.
"The
Division of Criminal Justice is encouraged
that, on the heels of criminal indictments
charging three MVC employees with theft
and accepting gifts for favors, two more
former employees have admitted their guilt
to a bribery scheme," Criminal Justice
Director McKoy said. "Ongoing efforts
to investigate and prosecute MVC-related
corruption and document fraud are having
an impact. The investigations and prosecutions
continue."
Motor Vehicles Commission Chief Administrator
Diane Legriede noted that the MVC and
the Division of Criminal Justice have
developed an investigative strategy targeting
corruption and document fraud for prosecution.
"The MVC has added 25 full-time investigators
to its staff and is bringing aboard six
additional investigators from the Division
of Criminal Justice to help eliminate
corruption at all levels," said
Legreide. "This is one of the many
ways we are fixing MVC."
Director McKoy said that the Division
of Criminal Justice - Special Prosecutions
Bureau launched its investigation upon
receiving citizen complaints alleging
that Parsons employees working in the
vehicle inspection lanes at the Kilmer
facility were soliciting bribes from motorists
whose vehicles had failed inspection or
to ignore vehicle deficiencies. The Division
of Criminal Justice, in concert with the
Motor Vehicles Commission, initiated an
undercover investigation. McKoy credited
the Division of Criminal Justice - Special
Prosecutions Bureau for their efforts
in coordinating the investigation with
the Motor Vehicle Commission.
Deputy Attorney General Susan Kase of
the Division of Criminal Justice - Special
Prosecutions Bureau prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by state
investigators Kiersten Pentony, Keith
Barclay and Brian Elkin.
In 2003, the Attorney General's Document
Fraud Initiative has resulted in the prosecution
of 136 individuals, including 17 MVC employees,
on charges that include official misconduct,
forgery, theft, identity theft and gifts
to public servants. The Initiative has
obtained 57 State Grand Jury indictments
and 45 criminal Accusations. As a result
of the prosecutions, 71 defendants have
pleaded guilty, receiving sentences that
range from ten years in State Prison to
performing hundreds of hours of community
service.
Attorney General Harvey and Director McKoy
noted that the Division of Criminal Justice
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 electronically report suspected wrongdoing.
All information received via the Division
of Criminal Justice "Corruption Tipline"
will remain confidential.
Additional information regarding the Attorney
General's Document Fraud Initiative, Corruption
Hotline and related law enforcement issues
is available via the Division of Criminal
Justice web page located at: www.NJDCJ.org.
