The former director of Community Planning and Compliance for Hamilton Township, N.J., today admitted he laundered a $5,000 alleged bribe from an insurance broker to township Mayor John Bencivengo, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Robert Warney, 46, of Hamilton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an Information charging him with one count of money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements in court: On May 12, 2011, while serving as the director of Community Planning and Compliance for Hamilton Township, Warney accepted on Bencivengo’s behalf a $5,000 check from a cooperating witness (the “CW”), and gave the proceeds of that check to Mayor Bencivengo in cash increments over several weeks. At that time, the CW and the CW’s employer provided health insurance brokerage services to the Hamilton Township School District. Warney said that he, Bencivengo, and the CW agreed to have the check made payable to Warney’s spouse in order to conceal the payment. They also agreed that if anyone asked Warney or the CW about the check, they would say that the CW purchased a bedroom sent from Warney’s spouse. A notation “Cherry Bedroom Set” was put on the check to support that story.
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