East Windsor Police Athletic League Director John Fiore is charged
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defrauding the league of more than $50,000.
TRENTON — East Windsor Police Athletic League Executive Director John
Fiore was indicted Wednesday by a state grand jury on charges claiming he
defrauded the EWPAL of more than $50,000.
Mr. Fiore, 58, of Redcoat Place in Allentown is a former Hamilton Township
police sergeant and former detective sergeant with the East Windsor Police
Department.
He has been charged with conspiracy, bribery in official and public matters,
official misconduct, and misapplication of entrusted property. Mr. Fiore can
face up to 35 years in state prison and a fine of up to $465,000.
Patrick Bradshaw, Mr. Fiore's attorney, said his client is innocent. He also
said the PAL itself is backing Mr. Fiore, claiming the director did not defraud
the league.
East Windsor Township Manager Paul Keller said Wednesday that the township
immediately will suspend Mr. Fiore without pay. Even though the PAL is
independent of the township. Mr. Fiore is a contract township employee.
"I think it's disgraceful that the township suspended John without pay," Mr.
Bradshaw said.
Mr. Bradshaw said he believes there is no substance to the allegations that
have been made.
He said that Supervising Deputy Attorney General Lewis Korngut is just
making accusations and that the "State Insurance Fraud Division likes to make
headlines."
"This ongoing investigation and prosecution continues to reveal a pattern of
corruption and greed fueled by insurance fraud as means for personal
enrichment," Criminal Justice Director Vaughn L. McKoy said in a written
statement. "In this case, the victims were the young men and women who depend
on the PAL for community-based activities.
"The crimes alleged in this indictment go beyond theft — they represent a
total disregard for the community in exchange for personal enrichment," Mr.
McKoy said.
Mr. Bradshaw said he didn't know about the indictment until the press
release went out to the newspapers on Wednesday and the press began to contact
him.
The defense decided to put Mr. Fiore on the stand in front of the grand jury
in order to demonstrate that he had nothing to hide, Mr. Bradshaw said.
"John kept trying to explain his side," he said. "He stayed in there and
answered every question and he didn't have to."
Mr. Bradshaw explained that Mr. Fiore was not allowed to have his attorney
present at the grand jury hearing and that Mr. Fiore was allowed to object to
answered questions.
Between May 1, 1998, and June 10, 1999, it is alleged that Mr. Fiore and
Jeffrey Nemes, 38, of Lea Drive in Hamilton Township conspired with Marc Rossi,
a former Mercer County law enforcement officer, to defraud the East Windsor PAL
out of more than $50,000.
According to the attorney general's office, Mr. Fiore used his position as
director to get Mr. Nemes' construction company a $274,046 contract to build a
PAL concession stand and administration building on Airport Road. The Office of
Insurance Fraud's corporate cost analysis showed that Mr. Nemes was paid
$50,000 more than he should have been.
It is also alleged that in return, Mr. Fiore received free construction
totaling $8,000 for a new deck on his former home on Eldridge Drive in
Washington Township.
But, according to Mr. Fiore's attorney, the PAL claims it is not a victim.
"It is my understanding that the East Windsor PAL attorney issued a letter
to the state saying that they (PAL) didn't believe they were victimized," Mr.
Bradshaw said.
"Nobody seems to be questioning the value of the PAL building except the
state," Mr. Bradshaw said. "We need to further look into the true value of the
building because they are just trying to ruin his (Mr. Fiore's) reputation and
bring him down."
PAL attorney Andrew Bayer was unavailable for comment Thursday.
Mr. Rossi was convicted in November 2003 of masterminding an
"arson-for-profit" and insurance fraud scheme responsible for at least 10
Mercer County arson fires, the office of attorney general stated.
Mr. Rossi was sentenced to eight years in state prison and six other
individuals were convicted and sentenced for their part in the arson-for-hire
and insurance fraud conspiracy, the attorney general's office said.
Mr. Rossi, who admitted to the insurance scheme, implicated Mr. Fiore and
Mr. Nemes. He said he received a $5,000 cash payment for his role in arranging
the deal between Mr. Fiore and Mr. Nemes and was sentenced to three years in
state prison for accepting the bribe.
Mr. Nemes was previously indicted by a state grand jury on Dec. 18, 2000, on
charges that he stole more than $200,000. He reportedly failed to complete
agreed upon repairs to the homes of four people whose properties sustained fire
damage. Mr. Nemes was convicted by a jury in February 2003 and sentenced to
seven years in state prison.
"It is my understanding that Mr. Nemes said John didn't do anything wrong
and that John's story is the truth," Mr. Bradshaw said. The case has been
assigned to Mercer County state Superior Court for trial.
Arrest warrants have been issued for both defendants and Mr. Nemes will
remain free pending an appeal on the recent conviction.
The next step for the defense will be to obtain the state grand jury's
official transcripts, Mr. Bradshaw said. He said he will file a motion to
dismiss the indictment.
Mr. Bradshaw said he hopes people will not assume his client is guilty.
"The downside of an indictment is the public doesn't understand its
meaning," he said. "Being indicted doesn't mean there was a conviction."
An indictment means that a grand jury found there was enough evidence to
bring Mr. Fiore and Mr. Nemes to trail for their alleged wrongdoings.
The PAL started in 1969 and had been sponsored by the East Windsor Township
Policemen's Benevolent Association. The EWPAL is nonprofit and serves 3,000
children. It provides baseball, soccer, hockey and softball teams for kids in
the East Windsor and Hightstown areas.
Mr. Fiore has been a contract employee with the township since January 1995,
prior to that he served with the Police Department until his retirement. As an
executive director, Mr. Fiore must report to the PAL's board of directors.
Dennis Unger, chairman of the board of directors, was unavailable for
comment Thursday.
Mr. Fiore became a patrol officer with East Windsor Township in 1972 and was
assigned as a detective in the Juvenile Division of the Police Department. In
1985, he began working with the PAL.
The township stated Mr. Fiore had a clear record throughout his law
enforcement career.
"The gravest abuse of power - and the gravest threats to personal liberty and
security - are those in which the very individuals to whom we look for the
preservation of law and order turn out to be the predators."