Friday, September 14, 2012
Disgraced former superintendent immediately taken into custody by U.S. Marshals
Calling it the "worst case of public corruption he has ever seen," a federal judge sentenced the disgraced former superintendent of Toms River Regional, Michael J. Ritacco, to 135 months – just over 11 years – in prison. Ritacco was sentenced by federal Judge Joel Pisano in Trenton today as his family members, seated in the court room, wept as his fate was decided. Ritacco voluntarily surrendered to U.S. Marshals in the court building, and remained stoic as he was escorted from the court room. His children could be seen in tears as he left. "This is the worst case of public corruption I’ve ever seen," Pisano said. Other cases of public corruption are "nickels and dimes compared to this." Pisano sentenced Ritacco to 135 months on the first …
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Former superintendent faces sentencing for mail fraud and conspiracy to impede the IRS
A morning court session Friday will determine the fate of former Toms River Superintendent Michael Ritacco, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy earlier this year. The sentencing of the former Toms River Regional superintendent was originally scheduled for July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. But it was postponed in June. Now Pisano is scheduled to sentence Ritacco at 10 a.m. on Sept. 14 in Trenton federal court. The new sentencing date was scheduled on Aug. 8, according to court documents. The Sept. 14 sentencing will be in Courtroom 1. Ritacco pleaded guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Original sentencing was scheduled for July.
Awaiting punishment after pleading guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy, former Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco has a new sentencing date, now rescheduled for Sept. 14. The sentencing of the former Toms River Regional superintendent was originally scheduled for July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. But, in June, it was postponed. Now Pisano is scheduled to sentence Ritacco at a 10 a.m. Sept. 14 in Trenton federal court. The new sentencing date was made Aug. 8, according to court documents. The Sept. 14 sentencing will be in Courtroom 1. Ritacco pleaded guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 million in …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Originally scheduled for July 12
The sentencing of former Superintendent Michael Ritacco has been postponed, and no new date has been set. According to the case docket, a court clerk's note entered June 11 says the sentencing is postponed. The sentencing of former Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Ritacco was originally scheduled for July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. Ritacco plead guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 million in bribes were allegedly passed between Ritacco, insurance brokers and intermediaries. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy to impede the IRS. Ritacco could face 11 to 14 years jail time, …
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Ritacco scandal one of the reasons for the split with Toms River, board official says
The scandal surrounding former Toms River Regional superintendent Michael J. Ritacco was one of the reasons the Seaside Heights Board of Education decided to go with Central Regional Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides instead, a board official said. "Nobody wants to be associated with Toms River anymore, because of the whole Ritacco situation," Seaside Heights Board Vice President Todd Genty said this morning. The five-member school board voted unanimously Monday night to name the popular Parlapanides as "shared superintendent" for the one-school district, he said. "The last year has been very rocky because of the indictment of Michael Ritacco," Genty said. "It was time to part. We just want to get away from Toms River completely." …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Toms River South junior glad it's over
It should have come sooner. That's Toms River High School South junior Ken Gaughran's take upon hearing that former longtime Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco pleaded guilty to corruption charges today in federal court. "Hopefully some pride and trust will be restored with the Board of Education," said Gaughran, who has followed the Ritacco saga from day one. "I'm actually glad he just pleaded guilty. It was dragging everyone down. He probably should have admitted it in the first place. It probably would have been easier." Ritacco pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Trenton to mail fraud and conspiracy to impede the IRS. He could face 11 to 14 years of jail time, according to sentencing guidelines. …
Monday, April 2, 2012
Plea comes less than a week before jury selection for Ritacco trial
Francis X. Gartland admitted in federal court today that while he served as the insurance broker for Toms River Regional Schools he funneled bribes through a series of intermediaries to then-superintendent Michael J. Ritacco. The payments were in excess of $1 million total from 2002-2010, announced the U.S. Attorney's office. Gartland, 70, had plead not guilty previously and was awaiting trial, scheduled to begin in a week alongside Ritacco, in a 27-count federal indictment that alleged bribery, kickbacks, fraud and tax evasion. Admitted to Ritacco Payments, Conspiring With Others The district's former insurance broker pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to charges of mail fraud, …
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Former schools superintendent facing trial for bribery sues board for unused sick pay and deferred compensation
Attorneys for former Toms River Schools superintendent Michael Ritacco have filed a lawsuit demanding the school district pay him for unused sick days and his deferred compensation plan. Each of the current members of the Toms River Regional School Board, as well as three members whose terms expired in 2011 and board attorney Thomas Monahan, are being sued in the federal lawsuit filed Oct. 25. The suit comes four days after the one-year anniversary of Ritacco's federal arrest for bribery and fraud, the same day he resigned as superintendent. At issue is approximately $63,000 in unused sick and vacation time Ritacco accumulated. Business Administrator Bill Doering said in an interview with Toms River Patch on Oct. 20 - before the lawsuit …
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Eventually 'every Seaside Park child' will go to Toms River, not Central Regional, Martucci says
The nine Seaside Park students who are already attending Toms River schools won't be going back to the Central Regional school district, Borough Administrator Robert Martucci said today. Martucci said the roughly $10,000 in tuition for each student will be paid to Toms River Regional in the fall. The students had previously attended Toms River schools free of charge, under an arrangement made back when former Toms River schools superintendent Michael J. Ritacco was at the helm. Ritacco, who lives in Seaside Park, is awaiting trial for federal corruption charges. He resigned after his arrest in October. The parents of the nine students requested that their children be allowed to attend Toms River schools, he said. "Our children will …
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Gail Coleman bashes Toms River Regional school district for siphoning Seaside Park students from Central Regional
Gail Coleman — who never minced words during her time on the Central Regional Board of Education — was briefly speechless at a recent board meeting. “For the first time I’m at a loss for words,” Coleman said, after she was presented with a plaque and bouquet of flowers as a send-off for her last regional board meeting on April 14. Coleman is not seeking re-election. But Coleman, who holds the the Seaside Park seat on the regional board until the April 27 election, didn't hold back for long. She lashed out at the Toms River school district for taking in Seaside Park residents at no cost. Coleman had previously prepared a parting statement about the situation. " … Board of education officials in Seaside Park have been making agreements …
pesmith
4:34 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012
"Thomas", your facts are your version, like always. Man up & use your real name, typical. Your so not worth it. more ›