Three enter guilty pleas in U.S. court

Two Marlboro developers and a business partner pleaded guilty on Oct. 29 to bribing a sewerage authority official with thousands of dollars in architectural drawings to gain favor in getting sewage service to their projects in Marlboro, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Brothers Steven Meiterman, 44, of Marlboro, and Bernard Meiterman, 43, of Manalapan, also admitted obstructing the grand jury investigation into their dealings with the executive director of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority by coaching the architect on how to testify falsely before the federal grand jury investigating their dealings in Monmouth County.

Bernard Meiterman is an attorney and acted as general counsel to the Meiterman companies.

Edward Kay, 39, of Marlboro, the Meitermans' business partner, an investor and bookkeeper in some of their real estate ventures, also pleaded guilty.

All three defendants admitted before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to bribing the sewerage authority official, Frank G. Abate, of Marlboro, by paying thousands of dollars in architectural drawings for Abate's home in exchange for Abate exercising his authority for their benefit.

Steven Meiterman and Bernard Meiterman further admitted to coaching the architect to conceal the fact they had paid him for services on behalf of Abate, and to falsely inform law enforcement and a federal grand jury that he, the architect, "forgot" to bill Abate for the work.

Abate was convicted on May 25 following a two-week jury trial. On Aug. 13, Wigenton sentenced Abate to 51 months in federal prison and fined him $10,000. Abate remains free pending an appeal.

"These were successful developers and businessmen," Christie said in a press release concerning the Meitermans and Kay. "We now know that at least some of their success was built on bribery and contributed to the corruption infesting Monmouth County."

The charge to which Steven Meiterman, Bernard Meiterman and Kay pleaded guilty, a violation of a federal law known as the Travel Act (using the U.S. mail to facilitate corrupt payments to a public official), carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Wigenton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7 for Bernard Meiterman and Feb. 14 for Steven Meiterman and Kay. In the plea agreements, the parties stipulate that, under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Steven Meiterman faces a probable sentencing range of between 46 and 57 months in federal prison; Bernard Meiterman, 37 to 46 months; and Kay, 18 to 24 months.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines are advisory, and neither the parties' stipulations nor the Sentencing Guidelines are binding on the court.

The three men remain free on bail secured by equity in their respective homes in the amounts of $250,000 for Steven Meiterman and $200,000 for the other two defendants.