Firm's owners sentenced to prison
The brother co-owners of International Trucks of Central Jersey were sentenced to prison terms on Jan. 16 for bribing Monmouth County public officials, U.S.Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

U.S. District JudgeWilliamJ.Martini sentenced Matthew Appolonia, 43, of Berkeley Heights, to 24 months in prison and fined him $25,000. Appolonia must surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons by March 3.

According to a press release, Appolonia pleaded guilty on Aug. 22 and admitted providing corrupt payments and benefits to various officials from approximately 1997 through 2005 to facilitate the purchase of trucks from his company by various local governments, including Brick Township, Seaside Heights, West Long Branch and Monmouth County.

Martini sentenced Stephen Appolonia, 54, of Colts Neck, to 28 months in prison and fined him$10,000. StephenAppolonia also was given a March 3 surrender date.

According to a press release, Stephen Appolonia pleaded guilty on Sept. 13 and admitted providing $2,000 in cash to formerMiddletown Township Committeeman Raymond J. O'Grady, who was the director of the central motor pool for Monmouth County, in a scheme to have the county pay approximately $6,000 for repairs to the transmission of a vehicle that the county already had traded back to Appolonia's business.

Stephen Appolonia also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to laundermoney in a scheme with former Far Hills Councilman Thomas A. Greenwald.