By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
Anthony Saccomanno, the former director of the department of code enforcement in Cherry Hill, had his retirement package terminated by Township Council last week. Saccomanno pled guilty last June to accepting bribes on two separate occasions from a Building Inspection Underwriters Inc. employee, receiving 22 months in a federal prison.
The resolution was passed by a vote of 3–1, with one abstention. Council member John Amato cast the lone dissenting vote. Council member Dennis Garbowski abstained from the vote.
By terminating the retirement agreement, the township will not owe Saccomanno the money due to him through accrued unused sick and vacation days throughout his 31-year tenure.
Amato explained his vote in Council comments, citing Amato’s previous professionalism before accepting bribes. Saccomanno served the township for 31 years, Amato said, and there is no evidence of him ever accepting a bribe before 2007.
Amato suggested only reducing Saccomanno’s retirement package from the day he was proven to have accepted a bribe in 2007.
“I feel we should honor our agreement. I know how the township feels, they want their pound of flesh, but this is not fair to make his wife suffer,” Amato said.
Amato went on, citing that he knew Saccomanno for 35 years and didn’t condone his illegal actions in any way, but he was a valuable employee before his conviction. Amato said his work as the project manager of the Cherry Hill Public Library saved the township millions of dollars. He even received a $25,000 bonus from the township for his exemplary job, he said.
He also successfully condemned the Cherry Hill Apartments, helping to save the lives of a number of tenants who were living in abject housing conditions.
Chief of Staff Dan Keashen said Saccomanno was sentenced to federal prison and betrayed the public’s trust, so Council felt it was necessary to terminate his retirement package.
“Now that Tony Saccomanno has been sentenced and sent to a federal prison, the township has taken the appropriate steps of officially terminating his retirement agreement,” he said. “Last year Mayor Bernie Platt swore that he would tirelessly work to recover all ill-gotten gains on behalf of the taxpayers.
“Resolution 2010–5–18 represented the final act of that long road to recoup all taxpayer money paid to Saccomanno for his public employment. The mayor believes that the resolution, passed by Town Council on Monday night, sends a strong message that criminals will not garner any benefit for their actions and will be punished by the court and Town Hall.”
U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb sentenced Saccomanno, 67, to 22 months in a federal prison for accepting a bribe of $2,500 from a BIU official on Sept. 20, 2007, and a $2,000 bribe from an official in July of 2008. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office officially charged Saccomanno last March with soliciting and demanding corrupt payments, namely $4,500 in cash, to be influenced to reward BIU with municipal contracts.
The charges also claimed BIU President Russell B. McLaughlin, 56, authorized a cooperating witness to make a corrupt payment to Saccomanno. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also said McLaughlin personally bribed Saccomanno sometime from July to December 2007. McLaughlin is charged with corruptly giving cash payments totaling $9,500 to Saccomanno to influence and reward an agent of the township in connection with municipal contracts. McLaughlin was recently sentenced this past week to a year and a day in federal prison for his actions.
