Iadanza Sentenced To 4 Month Prison Term Must also pay $4,000 fine
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Richard Iadanza, a former Neptune deputy mayor, was sentenced Wednesday to four months in prison, four months home confinement with electric monitoring and three years probation for accepting $3000 in bribes.
He was also fined $4000.
Iadanza was serving as deputy mayor when he took $1,500 on two occasions in exchange for awarding government contracts to an undercover FBI plant.
He must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by Dec. 10.
He faced between 18 and 24 months in prison for his part in what came to be known as Operation Bid Rig, but the time was reduced in exchange for his cooperation in the investigation.
Iadanza pleaded guilty to extortion and admitted accepting $3000 in bribes.
Ocean Grove resident Ray DeFaria, a friend who accompanied Iadanza to the sentencing this week, said he was glad that the court took into consideration Iadanzas service to the community.
The judge acknowledged the extraordinary community service he contributed as mayor, deputy mayor, committeeman, police commissioner and president of the citizens patrol, DeFaria said.
Iadanza was sentenced along with Joseph McCurnin and John Zambrano at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Courthouse in Newark.
All the defendants in the case, three of whom were sentenced Tuesday, and two being sentenced on future dates, will appear before United States District Judge William J. Martini.
According to the federal criminal complaint Iadanza met on several occasions with a cooperating witness who was promised to be awarded government contracts in Neptune in exchange for payments to Iadanza.
Iadanza was a member of the Township Committee from Jan. 1, 2004 until his resignation in December 2005 10 months after being arrested.
His term was supposed to expire in 2006.
He also served on the committee from 1994 to 1997 and as mayor in 1995.
Iadanza met with undercover FBI agents several times at restaurants in Freehold and one time at an office in Neptune.
He also collected one of the $1,500 bribes while on a visit to Atlantic City.
Several of Iadanzas meetings and phone conversations with FBI agents about the bribes included co-defendant Joseph McCurnin.
In addition to Operation Bid Rig, Iadanza aided the governments investigation of the co-owners of International Trucks of Central Jersey and the municipal salesman for that company, as well as other investigations.
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