I asked I pleaded I begged everyobody to let it die.
Who needs the Library when there's the internet.
4/21/94HD: Ex-city official guilty in food stamp scam
BY: NANCY SHIELDS Press Coastal Monmouth Bureau
ASBURY PARK
A former city housing commissioner and her business
partner pleaded guilty
yesterday in Municipal Court to one count each of converting food
stamps into cash at the Kingsley Deli and Food Store they operate on
the beachfront.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture last November filed complaints
against Rita Marano and
her partner, George R. Ganges, charging each with five counts of
converting food stamps into
cash on several occasions last year at their store at 1109 Kingsley
St.
Under a plea agreement, the five counts each faced were merged
into one count each, a
disorderly persons offense.
Ronald J. Troppoli, the special prosecutor in the case, said the
federal government was
seeking a $650 reimbursement from Marano and $575 from Ganges.
Municipal Court Judge Evan W. Broadbelt, who heard the case in
Asbury Park yesterday, said
the partners must make those payments to the government. He also
fined them $500 each.
Marano pleaded guilty to engaging in a transaction on July 20,
1993, to convert food stamp
coupons worth $300 to $150 in cash, contrary to federal and state
regulations. She had been
charged with converting coupons in similar amounts on Aug. 24, Sept.
8, and Sept. 25, 1993,
and for converting food stamps worth $200 to $100 in cash on Sept.
22, 1993.
Ganges had been charged with making similar conversion
transactions in various amounts on
five occasions last year. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty under the
agreement to one count of
converting $200 in coupons to $100 in cash.
Broadbelt said he was satisfied that Marano and Ganges did not
have prior offenses in the
food stamp program, but reminded them that they hold a position of
public trust between the
government and the patrons.
Charles J. Uliano of West Long Branch, who represented Marano and
Ganges in the case, said
in court that mistakes were made by the store owners and that they
were aware of regulations
that they are not supposed to convert stamps to cash.
Uliano described their actions as a ""violation of the spirit more
than anything else,''
saying they thought they ""were accommodating their patrons.''
However, he said they realized their mistake and were pleading
guilty. Both initially
pleaded innocent. Neither Marano nor Gorges said they wanted to
comment during the proceeding.
Federal agriculture officials have said that any administrative
action that may be taken
against the business owners in connection with the charges would come
after the case was heard
in court.
The hearing comes at a time when Marano is being rumored as a
possible reappointment to the
housing authority. She served as a commissioner for five years until
she resigned in July 1991
following a public battle with the authority executive director and
chairman over how the authority was being run.
Her resignation came as the authority sought her removal on
charges of inefficiency,
neglect of duty and misconduct in office.
Asked about the reports of an appointment, Mayor Patricia Candiano
said last night the City
Council, which is seeking the removal of all seven commissioners, may
fill a seat held by Commissioner Helen Pride whose term expires this
month. But it ""definitely will not be Rita
Marano who is appointed to that seat.''
Marano last night said ""no one has said one word to be about that
(an appointment),'' but
indicated that she may be reappointed at a later date.
""I think everyone expects me to be reappointed and maybe at some
point I will,'' she said.
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
