Spalliero faces new charges

A superseding indictment was returned on March 20 against Mon-mouth County developer Anthony Spal-liero, adding accusations that he paid a $5,000 to a Keyport official and conspired with former Marlboro Mayor Matthew Scannapieco to defraud the government, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

According to a press release from Christie's office, Spalliero was first charged on May 2, 2005, in a four-count criminal complaint accusing him of paying approximately $135,000 to Scanna-pieco, among other charges.

On Oct. 11, 2005, Spalliero was charged in a 14-count indictment that charged him with paying the bribes to Scannapieco, as well as paying other Marlboro and Monmouth County officials. The indictment also charged Spalliero with mail fraud and theft of honest services.

The superseding indictment returned on March 20 adds two counts. First, Count 15 charges Spalliero with making a corrupt payment to a Keyport official to influence that official in conjunction with an application to develop residential units. According to the superseding indictment, in 2004 Spalliero had a Monmouth County employee deliver $5,000 in cash to the Keyport official to gain the Keyport official's support for an application before the Keyport Planning Board to construct the residential housing.

Count 16 charges that between 1997 and April 2004, Spalliero conspired with Scannapieco to defraud the government by impairing and impeding the IRS from assessing and collecting taxes on the bribe payments that Spalliero had paid Scannapieco.

According to the press release, Spalliero will have to appear for arraignment on the superseding indictment, which has not yet been scheduled, before Senior U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson.

The new bribery charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.