A 25-year veteran of the agency admitted funneling payments to another supervisor
NEWARK -- A former NJ Transit supervisor was sentenced to three years in prison today, after admitting he took $70,000 in illicit payments to steer agency work to private contractors, New Jersey's top federal prosecutor announced.
William Talerico, 56, of Beachwood, who retired in 2013 after 25 years with NJ Transit, pleaded guilty in September 2014 to a federal extortion charge. He had faced up to 20 years when sentenced in U.S. District Court in Newark today by Judge William H. Walls, said the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.
Walls also sentenced Talerico to three years supervised release and ordered him to pay $54,600 in restitution.
RELATED: NJ Transit supervisor admits taking cash payouts to steer work to contractors
Apart from what Talerico kept for himself, prosecutors said he also funneled payments from the contractors to another supervisor who helped secure NJ Transit contracts for the contractors. That supervisor has not been identified.
From January 2006 to April 2012, Talerico supervised NJ Transit stations along the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line, where he oversaw maintenance and custodial work, Fishman's office said.
The FBI, the New Jersey State Police, an the state Attorney General's office also worked on the case.
Talerico's lawyer, Peter Willis, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find
