BY LAUREN MATTHEW
Staff Writer
OLD BRIDGE — Indicted township engineering inspector Barry C. Bowers pled not guilty to bribery charges last Thursday at his arraignment.
Bowers, 63, of Point Pleasant, faces two counts of second-degree official misconduct, three counts of acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant, and six counts of gift to public servant.
“Bowers did plead not guilty to charges outlined on the 11-count grand jury indictment,” said John Hagerty, spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.
The arraignment hearing was held before state Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa.
If convicted on all counts, Bowers could spend more than 20 years in prison and owe fines of more than $750,000.
He is accused of seeking and receiving thousands of dollars in financial favors from developers doing business with the township, in exchange for favorable service and rulings on applications, permits and inspections.
Bowers’ supervisor, Township Engineer John P. Vincenti, 43, of Brick, was indicted earlier this year on similar charges, including soliciting and receiving $3,800 from a developer, and using the money to fund tree removal work at his home. He also pled not guilty.
The state Division of Criminal Justice has accused Bowers of obtaining gifts totaling $27,000 — including new windows, kitchen cabinets and other home goods — from developers working in Old Bridge. The state grand jury indictment states that in five instances, Bowers arranged for developers to do home-improvement work at his home, a relative’s home and the home of a former township engineering department secretary.
Those improvements were linked to Atlantic Realty Inc., of Woodbridge, the developer behind projects like Matchaponix Hills, Matchaponix Estates, Presidential Estates and Rocky Creek. The same company allegedly paid for Vincenti’s tree removal at his home.
According to the office of State Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, the indictments of Bowers and Vincenti both resulted from an ongoing investigation in Old Bridge that began at least a year ago, when that office subpoenaed several records connected to township officials. The investigation itself stems from a tip given to the state Division of Criminal Justice in 2003.
Bowers and Vincenti have both been suspended from their township posts without pay.
A status conference for Bowers’ case has been scheduled for May 20, Hagerty said. At that time, it is possible that the judge will decide whether the matter will go to trial. It is also possible that Bowers will consider a guilty plea, he said.
Bowers’ attorney, Robert Levy, of the Lyndhurst firm Scarinci and Hollenbeck, is now entitled to look at information the state used to perpetuate the indictment, Hagerty said.
Levy did not return a phone call seeking comment for this story.
Though many township officials have noted that more indictments are expected in Old Bridge, Hagerty would not elaborate on that idea.
“There is an ongoing investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice,” he said. “Beyond that, I will not comment.”