$1.1 million theft from Hoboken "cleared up" in sentencing of Brian Petaccio

The Office of Attorney General Jeff Chiesa announces:

Toms River Man Whose Company Collected Coins From Hoboken Parking Meters Sentenced To Prison For Stealing Over $1 Million Former city parking utility director previously sentenced to prison in theft case

TRENTON – Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that a Toms River contractor whose company was hired by the City of Hoboken to collect coins from city parking meters was sentenced to state prison today for stealing over $1 million in parking revenues. Brian A. Petaccio, 52, of Toms River, the owner of United Textile Fabricators LLC, was sentenced to five years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. in Ocean County. Petaccio pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2009 to an accusation charging him with second-degree theft by unlawful taking for stealing approximately $1,175,000 in coins from Hoboken’s parking meters between June 2005 and April 2008. After an audit in 2007 uncovered parking revenue shortfalls, Petaccio and his company returned approximately $575,000 to the city. However, Petaccio admitted, in pleading guilty, that he diverted an additional $600,000 that was not reported to the city. On April 2, 2012, John P. Corea, 48, former director of the Hoboken Parking Utility, was sentenced to seven years in state prison, including three years of parole ineligibility, by Judge Hodgson. Corea pleaded guilty to second-degree official misconduct, admitting that he became aware that Petaccio and United Textile had stolen a large amount of the city’s parking revenues, but did not take any steps to stop the thefts or notify the city. Corea also admitted that he steered three separate no-bid contracts to United Textile to collect, count and manage the coins from the city’s parking meters, and made false statements to the city council about the qualifications and experience of the company, which is a coin-operated arcade game manufacturer. Corea and Petaccio were each ordered to pay $300,000 to the City of Hoboken in restitution for the $600,000 in revenue that was stolen from the city by Petaccio and not previously repaid. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey J. Manis prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police. The investigation was conducted by Detective Sgt. Peter Layng of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau North Unit, and Sgt. Lisa Shea, Deputy Attorney General Manis, Deputy Attorney General Perry Primavera, and Administrative Analyst Kathleen Ratliff of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. ### Hoboken has none of these coin operated meters these days.

Talking Ed Note: The $1.1 million missing - "It's been cleared up!"

Space Shuttle Enterprise photos over the Hudson - the best of

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Over there, over there, over there - Space Shuttle Enterprise!

Salute to the Space Shuttle Enterprise over Hoboken.  Video courtesy NJ.com

And the Space Shuttle Enterprise swings by again on the return down the Hudson River.

Space Shuttle Enterprise flying over Hoboken

All photos courtesy of Jimmy the K, MSV Executive Publisher.  All rights reserved 2012.

Council President Bhalla: Star Ledger notes Hoboken a stand out on tax cuts across entire state of New Jersey

From the desk of Hoboken Council President Ravi Bhalla:

Dear Friends, I hope 2012 has been treating you and your family very well. I write to share some exciting news regarding our City's financial condition and recent progress in delivering more parks and open space in Hoboken. 2012 Budget Passed For the fourth consecutive time, under the steady leadership of our Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken taxpayers have benefited from a tax decrease in the municipal portion of our tax bill. In this rough economic climate, this accomplishment is virtually unprecedented in the State of New Jersey. And we did it without having to lay off a single police or fire officer. The New Jersey Star Ledger has recognized Hoboken as standing out among all other towns in Hudson County in achieving a double digit decrease in municipal taxes from prior years. We were able to achieve substantial tax relief despite the best efforts of some members of the City Council to obstruct Hoboken's progress towards fiscal honesty and responsibility. Over the last few Council meetings, some of my colleagues have been kicking and screaming in protest. But what constructive ideas have they put on the table? None. All I have heard from them is that we need to hire more police officers and other vague platitudes. But I ask you: how will increasing the size of our police department reduce the size of the budget and offer tax relief? It will only obstruct, not advance, this objective with no guarantees of enhanced public safety. The hypocrisy of those who want smaller government but a larger police and fire department is nothing less than astounding. So how has Mayor Zimmer achieved this success? I quote my esteemed colleague, Vice President Peter Cunningham, who recently stated, "We are proud of the way we did it. Honestly. Sustainably. No tricks or gimmicks. We cut taxes while preserving needed services and reserving 3.6% of the budget for unexpected costs." My friends, this is honest and effective government at work, and we should all commend Mayor Zimmer for the stellar results she has produced so far. I also wish to commend her entire financial and legal team, Vice President Cunningham, and my council colleagues David Mello, Carol Marsh and Jennifer Giattino for working together to move Hoboken forward. Parks & Open Space Mayor Zimmer has called 2012 "The Year of Parks" in Hoboken, and we are making substantial progress in delivering more open space and park space for both children and adults. The Sinatra Soccer Field construction has begun and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2012. The City of Hoboken recently filed a lawsuit to stop the Monarch project, an offensive development initiative to build 12 story residential towers on a crumbling pier in the northeast part of Hoboken. Just last week two new parks, Legion Park and a pocket park on Jefferson Street were renovated and opened to the public. The Jackson Street Park was also recently re-opened for use. Finally, we are also moving forward on developing 1600 Park and the Hoboken Cove in the northern end of town. There is much more that is being done, but I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to preserve and develop more open space in Hoboken for the use and enjoyment of all of our residents. Personal Notes You probably have not heard from me for several months because of some significant personal changes in my life. My wife and I recently moved from the Shipyard community, where I enjoyed living for about 12 years, to a home on Garden Street near the Brandt School. Most significantly, earlier this year we had our second child, a beautiful baby boy named Shabegh Singh Bhalla. It is truly a joy to have a new little addition to our family. As always, if you have any concerns, questions, or require assistance, I am only a phone call or email away. You can reach me at 201-647-6090 or rbhalla@hobokennj.org I hope to hear from you soon! All the best, Ravi S. Bhalla City Council President City of Hoboken