Monday, April 15, 2013
Criminal prosecution still pending against firm members
A settlement between Birdsall Services Group and State Division of Criminal Justice was reached on Monday afternoon for what was called a "civil forfeiture action," according to a press release from Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa. According to the settlement Birdsall will pay the state a total of $2.6 million including $2.5 million in forfeiture and $100,000 to cover the state's attorneys fees in the bankruptcy action. Most of the funding for the payment will come from "the cash surrender of certain 'key man' life insurance policies," from officers and former officers who are under indictment according to the release. The remainder will come from cash on hand. Birdsall will also set up a $1 million fund that will be used to pay up to …
Monday, April 8, 2013
Potential ordinance would prohibit some monetary contributions to local candidates in exchange for services and contracts
The township will consider a pay-to-play ordinance, one that prohibits some monetary contributions to local candidates from firms interested in services and contracts, after Democratic candidate Gary Vaccaro encouraged the Committee to do so. “Back in 2011, when I ran for township Committee, one of my initiatives was pay-to-play reform, specifically I had developed a pay-to-play ordinance,” Vaccaro said at a recent Committee meeting. “My plan was to introduce it once I was elected.” Vaccaro ran for Committee against current Mayor David Most. Now that he is vying for a seat once again, he is hoping to put a pay-to-play ordinance back on the table. “However, in light of recent current events, it’s time to bring this issue back to the …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Scott MacFadden made at least $77,957 in illegally reimbursed political contributions, indictment charges
Brick Township's former business administrator, Scott MacFadden, has been indicted for violating state pay-to-play laws in his role as chief administrative officer of Birdsall Services Group, a Monmouth County-based engineering firm. Birdsall has been under investigation for skirting the state's pay-to-play laws by allegedly reimbursing its employees for their personal, unreportable political contributions. The firm has engineering contracts with a host of Shore area communities, including Brick. MacFadden, 58, a township resident, is accused of making at least $77,957 in such illegally reimbursed contributions, a statement from state Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said Tuesday. He is being represented by Brick-based attorney William P…
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Belmar man's indictment comes less than two weeks after another former executive of Birdsall Services Group pleaded guilty
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
A former executive of Birdsall Services Group, a Monmouth-based engineering firm that Lacey Township used for its feasibility study, was indicted today. The indictment comes less than two weeks after another executive pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to avoid the state's pay-to-play regulations. Thomas Rospos, 60, of Belmar was indicted after being accused of disguising illegal corporate political contributions as personal contributions by employees of the firm, according to a release from the Attorney General's Office. “Mr. Rospos allegedly conspired with others at Birdsall Services Group to circumvent New Jersey’s pay-to-play law through a fraudulent scheme in which extra bonuses were paid to employees to reimburse them for making…
Monday, August 27, 2012
Seaside Heights, Toms River, Brick and Ocean County were also served subpoenas
A subpoena was served to Lacey Township pertaining to the municipality’s business with Birdsall Services Group, a Monmouth County-based engineering and consulting firm that has been under investigation by the state. The township received the subpoena during the afternoon on Wednesday, Aug. 22. The subpoena asks for any and all records relating to Birdsall Engineering, Township Administrator and Municipal Clerk Veronica Laureigh said. “It doesn’t concern me because I know from my dealings with Birdsall, anytime we approved a contract with them, we’ve scrutinized them pretty closely,” Mayor Mark Dykoff said. On Wednesday, May 3, state investigators executed a search warrant at the offices of Birdsall Services Group. The exact reason for the …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Birdsall Engineering, a firm that is currently under investigation by the state, will conduct the study
The Township Committee has awarded a contract to Birdsall Engineering, a firm that is currently under investigation by the state, for a feasibility study for a new power generation facility to be built in Lacey upon Oyster Creek’s closure in 2019. State investigators executed a search warrant at the offices of Birdsall Services Group in Wall on Wednesday, May 3, the Star Ledger reported. The exact reason for the investigation is currently unknown. Mayor Mark Dykoff was unaware of the state’s investigation until after the township awarded the contract, he said. The contract was awarded on Thursday, May 17, with a unanimous vote. “I haven’t seen the particulars,” Dykoff said of the investigation on Monday. “Some records have been seized. It …
Sean Conneamhe
7:08 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2013
"Sic semper tyrannis." more ›