REGIONAL INTEREST

Mayor Jordan Maskowitz, Deputy Mayor Jack McNaboe, Committeewoman Susan Cohen and Committeewoman Mary Ann Musich issued the following statement: “It is always a sad day when anyone in an elected office acts in a manner that is not appropriate.

“However, this matter is not related to Mr. Lucas’ position in government, did not involve the government — and any attempt to intermingle Mr. Lucas’ conviction for falsifying his private documents in order to purchase the farm with the government for political purposes is both an abuse and disgraceful attempt to take advantage of an individual’s personal tragedy.

The statement noted that Lucas was not convicted for any act directly or indirectly related to the award of farmland preservation funds, which are understood to be tied to the land, not the landowner.

“In fact, it is illegal to determine farmland preservation awards based on the person rather than the land,” the Manalapan officials said.

“Any suggestion by certain politicians for campaign purposes that the local, county and state governments should have broken the law to reject the application solely because of the identity of the applicant says much more about the integrity of those making such a suggestion than those who followed the law in approving the funds.”

Committeeman Ryan Green was not a party to the statement.

Lucas served on the Manalapan Township Committee from January 2005 through Oct. 7, 2013, when he resigned from office two months before his third three-year term was due to expire. His eight-plus years of service on the governing body included several one-year terms as mayor of his hometown.

The counts of wire fraud and falsification of records in a federal investigation are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Loan application fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Illegal monetary transaction and obstruction of a grand jury investigation are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison.

Each of the charges of false statements to the IRS is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison.

Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory prison term of two years in prison, to be run consecutive to any other sentence.