Corrupt NJ parks officials caught with cash bags in $1.5M bribery scheme, feds say

🔴 An official and a business owner admit to a $1.5 million parks scandal.

🔴 Kickbacks involved bags of cash, huge checks, and favors, federal prosecutors say.

🔴 Investigators say the six-year scheme involved more than one bad apple.

Investigators say they've uncovered another New Jersey bribery scandal, but this time it's massive bags of cash instead of gold bars.

Three men have been implicated in the six-year scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey announced on Friday. They include two former Hudson County parks directors and a New Jersey businessman.

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Thomas A. DeLeo, 76, of Little Silver, was the Division of Parks head until 2021. On March 5, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, both federal counts.

Leo's successor was Russell Fallacara, 58, of Bayonne. He stepped down as parks director in 2024. Federal prosecutors say Fallacara faces the same charges that DeLeo just pleaded guilty to. New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to Fallacara's defense attorney for comment.

William A. Murray, 56, of Jersey City, was the owner of Murray Paving and Concrete, LLC. The company did over $5 million in contracted work for Hudson County parks, including landscaping and paving. Last Tuesday, Murray pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.

Bags of cash, fake consulting fees, and kickbacks detailed

According to prosecutors, the scheme began in 2019 with DeLeo and Murray. Both men have admitted to illegally moving around bags of cash, each containing tens of thousands of dollars.

Murray paid DeLeo so that Murray's paving company would be awarded the lucrative Hudson County parks contracts, prosecutors said. In total, DeLeo received around $550,000 in bribes and kickbacks.

Just one bag that Murray gave to DeLeo had between $60,000 and $90,000 in cash. Multiple check payments of $30,000 were made to DeLeo's fake consulting firm to conceal that they were bribes. Murray also gave DeLeo and his associates free home repairs and renovations as favors.

Fallacara, the parks director after DeLeo, similarly received over $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks, according to federal prosecutors. Investigators said Fallacara received one check from Murray for $300,000 alone. Fallacara has not admitted to any wrongdoing.

Overall, investigators said that DeLeo, Fallacara, and their associates received around $1.5 million in bribes and kickbacks from Muray. DeLeo and Murray each face up to decades in prison.

READ MORE: NJ Supreme Court: Illegal workers must be paid for their labor

New Hudson County leadership promises transparency, integrity

In a statement, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said he was "disgusted" by the corruption. The former Jersey City police officer said the scheme happened before he took the executive position in 2024.

Guy appointed the new parks director, Jonathan DeFilippo, soon after he took office. DeFilippo now oversees the department that had a nearly $12 million budget last year. Neither Guy nor DeFilippo has been accused of wrongdoing.

"Corruption is not tolerated on my watch and I applaud federal law enforcement's efforts to hold these former officials accountable. We work for the people and I will continue to serve Hudson County with honesty and integrity," Guy said.

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