Former county garage director took $20,000 and a car engine

Paolo “Paul” Mariano of Wayne, the former director of the Passaic County government garage, was sentenced to four years in state prison Thursday for stealing $20,000 found hidden in a car that was seized by law enforcement, and for stealing an engine from a second vehicle.

Mariano, 53, was sentenced by state Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark in Paterson. Mariano pleaded guilty on March 28 to two counts of second-degree official misconduct. The charges stem from an investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

Mariano was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. As a result of his plea, he forfeited his county job and is permanently barred from public employment.

"Prison is the appropriate sentence for Mariano, who shamelessly stole cash and property that would have been forfeited to fund law enforcement efforts in Passaic County," said state Attorney General Paula T. Dow. "His actions showed a complete disregard for the law and for the county he was supposed to serve."

"This prison sentence sends a clear message that government officials who steal from their agencies and the public will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted," state Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor added. "We have zero tolerance when it comes to official corruption."

In pleading guilty, Mariano admitted that he stole cash totaling approximately $20,000 that was found inside a 2000 Ford Taurus that was seized during a narcotics investigation by the Passaic County Drug Task Force in 2004. The car was being repaired for use as an undercover car in 2005 when county mechanics found the cash in a hidden compartment. They found several stacks of $100 bills. The mechanics told Mariano, who took possession of the car and cash, directing them not to report anything. Mariano then had a mechanic disassemble the car.

Mariano also admitted that in November 2006, he directed county mechanics to remove an engine from a 1995 Toyota 4-Runner that had been seized by the county. He had the mechanics place the engine into a 1993 Toyota 4-Runner that he had given to his girlfriend but titled in his own name. The stolen engine was in better condition than the one it replaced. Mariano sold that car, with the stolen engine, to an undercover detective on May 14, 2010 for $2,000.

Deputy Attorney General Vincent J. Militello prosecuted the case. The investigation was led by Militello, Deputy Chief Paul Castellvi, Det. Scott Donlan, and Det. Harry Maronpot Jr. They were assisted by Sgt. David Salzmann and Detectives Laura Clarke, Ruben Contreras and Nick Olenick.

—TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM