NEWARK – A former general manager of a vehicle services company admitted on Nov. 16 to taking $6,500 in bribes from a truck sales company that sold equipment to Neptune Township.
U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced that Richard Messer, 45, of Oakhurst, admitted before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini that he took the bribes from International Trucks of Central Jersey (ITCJ) as a reward for securing the sale of ITCJ trucks to the township.
During his guilty plea, Messer identified two people previously indicted in the ongoing corruption probe in Monmouth County: Stephen Appolonia, one of the owners of ITCJ, and Robert Feldman, ITCJ’s municipal salesman.
Messer pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding his employer of its right to honest services, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Sentencing was scheduled for May 15. Messer is free on a $100,000 unsecured bond.
Messer was the general manager of First Vehicle Services of Neptune, a fleet management and maintenance company where he was responsible for overseeing and supervising maintenance of all government vehicles for Neptune.
Messer said he also assisted the Neptune Department of Public Works with obtaining specifications for new vehicles, accepting new vehicles and ensuring that the township received the vehicles and other equipment that it ordered.
Messer said that in his time at First Vehicle Services, he had a close relationship with Feldman.
Messer told the judge that between August 2001 and April 2002 he helped facilitate the sale of three commercial trucks, and that after that, Feldman approached him and told him that Appolonia wanted to reward him for helping secure those sales.
Messer admitted that he took a check for $1,500 signed by Appolonia and made payable to Messer’s landscaping company for landscaping that was never performed.
Messer said he subsequently helped facilitate the sale of another five commercial trucks from Feldman to the Neptune Department of Public Works. Messer said he was then directed by Feldman to create a false invoice for $5,000 from a landscaping business even though no services were actually provided.
Messer, who was employed by First Vehicle Services for almost six years. said he then received two checks from ITCJ totaling $5,000 in return for helping secure the sale of the ITCJ trucks, and for his further influence in future sales.
Messer admitted he kept the $6,500 from ITCJ for himself, neglecting to disclose this conflict of interest with his employer.
Appolonia, his brother Matthew Appolonia and Feldman were indicted on charges related to the bribe payments to Messer as well as other charges in July 2006. Their trial is scheduled for March 12.

