Ex-Birdsall CEO pleads guilty in pay-to-play probe

Howard Birdsall, the onetime Chief Executive Officer of the Monmouth County-based Birdsall Services Group (BSG) engineering firm, faces a possible four years in prison after admitting his role in a million-dollar pay-to-play arrangement uncovered by New Jersey investigators.

In an Ocean County courtroom in Toms River, the Brielle 72-year-old pleaded guilty to a second-degree count of misconduct by corporate official, according to information from acting state Attorney General John J. Hoffman's office.

His plea bargain also includes a $49,808 payment to the state, representing the forfeiture of his political donations reimbursed by the company, authorities said. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22.

Trial for former BSG Executive Vice President Thomas Rospos, 64, of Belmar, is scheduled to begin Monday, February 22. Two marketing employees, Philp Angarone of Hamilton in Mercer County, and Eileen Kufahl of Bradley Beach, have entered guilty pleas and await sentencing.

Prosecutors are recommending a year minus a day in a county jai and $30,000 forfeiture for ex-Birdsall Chief Administrative Officer Scott McFadden, 61, of Brick, who pleaded guilty to third-degree misconduct on January 6. His sentencing is scheduled for June 3.

BSG, as an entity, pleaded guilty in June 2013 to first-degree money laundering and second-degree false representations for government contracts. The firm was dunned $1,000,000 in penalties and another $2,600,000 to settle the Attorney General's civil forfeiture action.

In a March 2013 indictment, Birdsall and BSG were charged with evading New Jersey's political and campaign contribution restrictions by sending bundles of personal checks from employees and shareholders in non-reportable amounts no higher than $300, reimbursing them through bonuses, and omitting the transactions in filings with the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

"Many millions of dollars in taxpayer funds are spent on public contracts each year in New Jersey," said Division of Criminal Justice Director Elie Honig in prepared remarks. "Our citizens have a right to expect that those contracts will be awarded through a transparent process that strictly serves the public interest, not the interests of the politically connected."

At no point has the AG's office indicated whether investigators are following the money trail to the end points, or whether any current office holders would be held responsible if found to be implicated for contracts proven to have been awarded as a result of the arrangement..