09-19-05 -- Lambert, James R. et al. -- Sentencing -- News Release

Former Mercer County Official and Two Businessmen Sentenced to Prison Following a Federal Investigation into Public Corruption in Mercer County

TRENTON - Three Mercer County men were sentenced to federal prison terms today for their guilty pleas to criminal charges that resulted from a federal investigation into public corruption in Mercer County, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

U.S. District Garrett E. Brown, Jr., sentenced the former executive director of the Mercer County Improvement Authority, James R. Lambert, Sr., 44, formerly of Hamilton Twp., to a term of ten months - five to be served in federal prison and five to be served on house arrest with electronic monitoring. Judge Brown also ordered Lambert to pay a fine of $6,000 and to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence.

Judge Brown sentenced businessman Alex J. Abdalla, 52, of Washington Township, former owner/operator of a Mercer County demolition company, to a term of ten months - five to be served in federal prison and five to be served on house arrest with electronic monitoring. Abdalla was ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution and a $6,000 fine, and to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence.

Michael Maurio, 69, of Trenton, a real estate professional, was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution. He will serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence.

Lambert pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2004, to participating in a mail fraud scheme with Harry G. Parkin, the former chief of staff to the Mercer County Executive, and to conspiring with Alex Abdalla to bribe a Ewing Township official, who was later identified in trial testimony as former Ewing Township Mayor Alfred W. Bridges. On Aug. 25, 2005, Judge Brown sentenced Parkin to 90 months in prison for his conviction on 12 counts of mail fraud and one count of attempted extortion.

Abdalla pleaded guilty on June 2, 2004, to participating in a scheme to defraud the Mercer County Improvement Authority of approximately $100,000 in connection with a demolition project in Trenton and to conspiring to bribe Mayor Bridges to use his official influence to steer a private demolition contract in Ewing Township.

On April 19, 2004, Maurio admitted to his role in the conspiracy to defraud the Mercer County Improvement Authority through the submission of false statements in connection with the performance of a demolition project contract in Trenton. Maurio additionally pled guilty to failing to submit tax returns.

"These individuals and their co-conspirators demonstrated an appalling willingness to corruptly use government coffers for their own financial gain," Christie said.

News releases covering the guilty pleas of Lambert, Abdalla and Maurio are available at: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/publicaffairs/index.html

According to the terms of their plea agreements, Lambert, Abdalla and Maurio agreed to cooperate with the government in its investigation of Mercer County public corruption.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI West Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leslie Wiser, Jr., in Newark and Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation section, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia J. Haynes.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Bocian of the U.S. Attorney's Criminal Division in Trenton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Chiesa of the U.S. Attorney's Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

- end -

Defense Attorney: Lambert - Paul H. Zoubek, Esq. Haddonfield

Abdalla - Lawrence S. Grossman, Esq. Manalapan

Maurio - Paul M. Donini, Esq. Hamilton