BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG
Staff Writer
Former Monmouth County Freeholder Director Harry Larrison Jr. spent 39 years serving the community, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office is now accusing him of deceiving it.
Larrison, 78, was at his Ocean Grove home on April 27 when he was served a summons by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, accusing him of two counts of accepting bribes.
He was summoned to appear in federal court in Newark for an initial appearance on Friday morning, but was granted an indefinite postponement by U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.
Larrison’s attorney, Howard Brownstein, of Brownstein, Booth and Barry, Union City, requested the postponement due to Larrison’s health, said Mike Drewniak, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Larrison is suffering from three forms of cancer.
Larrison allegedly accepted $8,500 in cash payments in connection with using his political position to help two developers between 2001 and 2003. The work was mostly in, but not limited to, the Marlboro Township area.
“Harry Larrison is one of the most enduring political figures in Monmouth County, and long held himself out to be a fine public servant,” U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie said. “In fact, as alleged, he used his power, prestige and political clout to corruptly serve himself.”
The charges are the result of a long-running and ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in an effort to end political crime and corruption in Monmouth County.
“This is more of what we’ve already seen in Monmouth County, and we will persist in our efforts with the FBI to uncover all public corruption in Monmouth County,” Christie said.
The complaint against Larrison alleges that he had a Monmouth County government official, who held an administrative position, pick up and deliver $5,000 in cash from one developer and $3,500 in cash from the other. The official was allegedly paid off both times.
In the first instance, Larrison allegedly said that he wanted cash for a trip to Florida, and had the official contact the developer and request $5,000. The official and developer allegedly met in South Amboy and made the cash exchange. Later that day, the official drove to Larrison’s home, where he handed him the cash and accepted a $1,500 payoff.
Authorities are alleging that the $5,000 was a payment for Larrison’s assistance in connection with the developer’s numerous developmental projects in the county.
The second incident allegedly took place sometime between 2002 and 2003. Larrison told the official to contact the second developer and request $5,000 in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The official and the developer met a few days later at a restaurant in Marlboro, and the developer allegedly gave the official an envelope containing $3,500 cash, in the form of $100 bills. The developer also allegedly asked the official to pass on a message of thanks to Larrison for securing a tier change on an ongoing residential development project in Marlboro that the developer was interested in.
According to the charges, the official then drove to Larrison’s home and gave him the cash, explaining that the payment was less than expected. He was paid $500 for his participation in the exchange.
Authorities are alleging that the $3,500 was “in exchange for Larrison’s official assistance on a zoning issue for a Marlboro development project involving the use of sewer lines.”
The remaining $1,500 was never paid to Larrison, officials said.
According to the complaint, authorities have recorded proof of Larrison and the developers confirming that the transactions took place.
In one case, they have the second developer on a Feb. 2 recording that was made in Matawan stating that the missing $1,500 portion of the second $5,000 payment had not been made, and that Larrison had nothing to worry about because there was no paper trail of the payments made to him.
The second recording is of Larrison indicating that he was aware that there was supposed to be another $1,500 payment. The recording is from Feb. 7 and took place in Neptune. Authorities say they also have Larrison on tape from a Feb. 10 conversation in Neptune stating that he received a $3,500 cash payment from the second developer.
Larrison’s attorney did not return calls for comment.
Larrison built his legacy by serving on the Board of Chosen Freeholders for 39 consecutive years. He stepped down from the position in December.
“Harry Larrison wasn’t just a product of the old-style New Jersey political system, he was its architect and symbol in Monmouth County,” Freeholder Amy Handlin said. “So this development reminds us, yet again, how corrupting the system can be. It also highlights the need for drastic reform, from top to bottom, of a political culture that promotes and sustains corruption.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is promising more to come.
“We have done a lot in Monmouth County in finding and prosecuting corruption, and it appears, unfortunately, that there’s plenty more to do,” Drewniak, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said.
Handlin said that the allegations against Larrison “have served as a wake-up call to those out-of-touch politicians who have tried to prop up and defend the status quo. Their anti-reform position has now become completely untenable.”
Handlin also said that if the allegations are proved true, she never really knew Larrison, despite working closely with him for 15 years.
There is currently no timeline on when Larrison will appear before the judge.