Hudson County parks bribery scheme ends with final guilty plea

💰 A former Hudson County parks director admitted taking part in a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme.

➡️ Prosecutors said contractors secured more than $5 million in county work through cash and kickbacks.

⚠️ Russell Fallacara is the third and final defendant to plead guilty in the federal investigation.

NEWARK — A second disgraced Hudson County parks director has admitted to his role in a lucrative bribery scheme that involved heavy bags of cash.

Russell Fallacara, 59, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The federal offense carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

He was the last holdout to admit to the six-year conspiracy that began in 2019. Thomas DeLeo, who was parks director before Fallacara, and local business owner William Murray both pleaded guilty in March.

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According to federal prosecutors, their scheme involved more than $1.5 million in bribes and kickbacks. Officials said DeLeo and Fallacara received most of the benefits, while unnamed associates got the rest.

Washington Park in Union City, which is managed by the Hudson County Division of Parks. (Google Maps)

Prosecutors say bags of cash helped secure county contracts

Investigators found that Murray wanted his company, Murray Paving and Concrete, LLC, to get big contracts for Hudson County park projects. So, Murray gave bags of cash and free home renovations to Hudson County officials. His company was awarded more than $5 million in parks contracts, including paving, landscaping, and general contracting.

When the scheme began in 2019, DeLeo was head of the county parks division. Prosecutors said he received $550,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Murray. In one instance, Murray gave a bag filled with between $60,000 and $90,000 in cash. The contractor also wrote several $30,000 checks to DeLeo's fake consulting firm.

The bribery scheme continued as Fallacara took charge of the parks division after DeLeo retired in 2021. Murray gave over $400,000 in cash and kickbacks to Fallacara, including a single check for $300,000. He stepped down in 2024.

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Stephen R. Gregg Park in Bayonne (Google Maps)

Fallacara previously served prison time in federal racketeering case

In 2005, Fallacara was one of more than a dozen accused associates of the Genovese crime family arrested by the FBI. Federal prosecutors said the group operated an illegal sports gambling ring. He pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 27 months in prison, the Hudson County View reported.

Then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie's office said that Fallacara was "involved in the sports bookmaking operation, football ticket operation, and the collection of unlawful debt." He was also accused of using his position as an inspector with the Jersey City Incinerator Authority to extort a Bayonne construction company. The JCIA, which handled waste management, was later dissolved in 2015.

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