newjerseynewsroom.com

Friday
Aug 03rd

N.J. government officials found guilty of accepting bribes

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 10:14
BY CHRISTOPHER RIGHTMIRE
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Two high ranking government officials were found guilty yesterday of official misconduct for accepting gifts from a collection company, OSI Collection Services Inc.

According to officials, the two men charged were Robert K Thompson, 63, of Hamilton, who was the former Director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation, and David M. Gavin, 60, of Titusville, who was the former Assistant Deputy Director for Contract Compliance.

Thompson was found guilty of one count of third-degree official misconduct, and his deputy, Gavin, was found guilty of two counts of third-degree official misconduct and one count of third-degree patterns of official misconduct.

Attorney General Jeffery Chiesa said in a press release, “This verdict lets the taxpayers of New Jersey know that we’re not going to tolerate government officials who break the law and use their offices for their own selfish interests, rather than strictly serving the public’s interest as required … we need to eliminate this type of corruption from government.”

According to authorities, both men have been suspended without pay since they were indicted in 2006, and they will have to forfeit their jobs. They will also be barred from public employment in New Jersey. They are awaiting sentencing, but their third degree sentence carries the possibility of up to 364 days in county jail.

According to the Attorney General’s office, the former sales director of OSI, Sandra Bielanski, pleaded guilty to offering illegal gifts and was found guilty of third-degree charges of offering an unlawful benefit to a public servant, for official behavior and tampering with public records of information.

Bielanski is awaiting sentencing, and investigations on two other OSI employees are pending.

Back to Top

 

Add your comment

Your name:
Subject:
Comment:
yvComment v.1.20.0


Follow/join us

Twitter: njnewsroom Linked In Group: 2483509

Hot topics

 

Children can be conned out of inheritance after multiple marriages

BY CAROL ABAYA NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM THE SANDWICH GENERATION Multiple marriages and blended families can mean children get cheated out of money and assets their parent(s) earned and had before the second or third marriage. At the 2012 senior citizens’ law day conference, Lawrence A. Friedman, Bridgewater elder law attorney, said elders need to protect their children of prior marriages from being disinherited. "Even if your spouse’s current will provides for your children, your spouse may change it after you pass away,” he said. In addition to protecting one's child, an appropriate will can minimize N.J. estate taxes, which kick in if assets are over $675,000. At the conference, Cathyanne Pisciotta from North Brunswick discussed guardianship which could be necessary if various legal documents are not signed. Pisciotta said that if a person does not have a durable power of attorney (for financial affairs) and a living will (for medical decisions), anyone else can seek guardianship of that person. An expensive court proceeding is mandatory. And she said, “If one person seeks guardianship, someone else can challenge the appointment. Another relative may seek to be appointed guardian because he/she wants the money and power.”

 

NJNR Press Box

 

Join New Jersey Newsroom.com on Twitter

 

Be a Facebook fan of New Jersey Newsroom.com


**V 2.0**