Case Details

Year Initiated/Committed

2011

Year Resolved

2011

Lead State

NJ

Participating States

Defendant(s)

Joseph Romano

Offenses

making false
representations for a government contract (3rd degree)

Sentence Imposed

Three years of probation and 180 days in the county jail to be served at the end of the term of probation, with the jail sentence to be vacated by the judge if he completes his probation successfully

Case Description

Three defendants pleaded guilty in connection with $24,360 worth of contracts for computer services let by the Oakland, Lincoln Park and Haledon police departments. The three defendants were required to enter into consent agreements filed with the court
barring them for three years from doing business, either personally or through any business entity, with any public agency or government in New Jersey. The three men are responsible, jointly and severally, for paying $24,360 to the Attorney General’s Anti-Trust Revolving Fund for anti-trust enforcement efforts. All three are responsible, jointly and severally, for paying $18,960, and Meich and Romano are responsible for paying an additional $5,400. In pleading guilty, the three men admitted that they fabricated bids, purportedly from
competing companies, on public contracts for computer hardware, software and services for
the three police departments. In addition to submitting bids from his own company, Romano admitted to submitting
additional false bids on all three contracts in the name of a third company without that
company’s knowledge or authorization.