Second shore shoe drops in Union County bribery case

A day after a former Union County official from the shore was sentenced for approving bogus invoices for contractor payments, the of a shore-based company that paid kickbacks to him is given a prison term of his own.

Richard Greer, 56, of Marlboro, was sentenced to 31 months for ensuring ongoing contracts with $500 monthly payments to Aniello Palmieri, 59, of Toms River, according to information from the office of New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.

Palmieri was the Director of Facilities Management for Union County. Greer owned and operated Positive Attitude LLC between 2006 and 2011, furnishing maintenance and cleaning supplies to the county.

Palmieri was sentenced to almost six years for authorizing payments for bogus invoices. Greer admitted generating false invoices to cover the payments to Palmieri and a profit for himself, investigators said.

The company took in between $120,000 and $200,000 in illicit proceeds, authorities said. Greer routed the checks from Union County to his home in Monmouth.

Greer was also ordered to serve three years supverised release and to pay restitution totaling $185,000.

Frank Donald Vincendes III, of Berkeley Heights, a contractor who pleaded guilty along with Palmieri to a separate bribery scheme in 2013 is scheduled to be sentenced October 21.