Treffinger Co-Defendant Sentencings

Following are the essential details from the sentencings of the cooperating government witnesses in the prosecution of former Essex County Executive James Treffinger. Three defendants were sentenced today. Cosmo Cerrigone, a Cedar Grover barber and Treffinger supporter, is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 11 a.m. before Judge Bissell.

Michael DeMiro, 57, of Verona, an attorney and longtime Treffinger confidant and aide to the county executive. DeMiro pleaded guilty on May 27, to conspiring to obstruct the FBI's investigation of Treffinger's corrupt activities. Judge Bissell sentenced DeMiro to three years of probation with two months of house arrest with electronic monitoring (the house arrest will exclude employment outside the home), and ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service, which the Judge recommended include speaking to public officials and the legal profession about public corruption. Judge Bissell did not impose a fine. Citing among other things DeMiro's cooperation in the government's investigation, the Judge departed downward from U.S. Sentencing Guidelines that could have put DeMiro in prison.

Rajashekar Ravilla, 40, of Denville, the former Essex County engineer. Ravilla pleaded guilty to mail fraud on May 28. Judge Bissell sentenced Ravilla to three years of probation, with five months of house arrest with electronic monitoring (Ravilla will be allowed to leave home for work as well). Judge Bissell imposed a $10,000 fine. As with DeMiro, due to Ravilla's cooperation in the investigation and other factors, Judge Bissell departed from the Sentencing Guidelines which otherwise could have exposed Ravilla to a prison sentence.

Matthew Kirnan, 43, of Verona, an attorney who managed Treffinger's 2000 Senate campaign and was treasurer of Treffinger 2002 campaign. Kirnan pleaded guilty on May 27 to tax evasion unrelated to the Treffinger investigation. Judge Bissell sentenced Kirnan to three years of probation and ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service, recommending that he devote some of it to community projects in Verona as well as speaking with students about personal integrity and individual "self-governance" in a free society. Judge Bissell also fined Kirnan $3,000. The Judge noted that Kirnan just last week paid approximately $45,000 in federal back taxes, penalties and interest. Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Kirnan too could have been sentenced to prison but for his cooperation in the Treffinger investigation.

Cosmo Cerrigone, 56, of Cedar Grove, Treffinger's barber. He admitted in May that for years he accepted a county salary for cutting hair of county psychiatric patients, a government job that, in reality, he rarely showed up for. Judge Bissell sentenced Cerrigone to three years of probation and ordered him to to repay the county $57,000. Cerrigone also received the benefit of his cooperation with the federal investigation. Without his cooperation, he too could have been sentenced to prison.