Former baseball coach faces 7 years in prison
Robert Nanni, 53, of Howell, pleaded guilty onMarch 10 before state Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet to official misconduct, a second-degree crime, and theft by deception and theft of services, both third-degree crimes.

According to a press release, in exchange for his guilty plea the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office will recommend that Nanni receive a seven-year New Jersey state prison term. Nanni is scheduled to be sentenced by Chaiet on April 18.

Nanni was a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officer from June 1986 until June 2006. Nanni was assigned to Port Authority stations at the Goethals bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing. His official police responsibilities included, among others, the inspection of commercial vehicles entering New York City and spot-checking vehicles in order to determine if they possessed the requisite licenses and permits.

From 2004 until 2006, during his offduty hours, Nanni was the manager of the North Howell Stingrays, a travel baseball team for 12-year-olds.

An investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Port Authority Police Department revealed that from September 2004 through July 2006, Nanni, while in his PANY/NJ police officer's uniform, solicited donations from truckers he had stopped for vehicular violations, according to the press release.

In substance, Nanni let each trucker that he had contact with, and ultimately the respective trucking company executives, know that if they made financial donations to his travel baseball team, they would not receive any tickets from him for alleged violations, according to the press release.

The investigation revealed that Nanni deposited all the solicited donations into the team's account at Investor Savings Bank, where Nanni was the sole signatory for this account.

The investigation further revealed that Nanni spent virtually all of the donated

funds, totaling nearly $70,000, on himself by way of debits, ATM withdrawals and checks written to cash. Nanni used the stolen funds to purchase furniture, make mortgage payments, pay for construction at his house and pay taxes.

During the investigation it was determined that Nanni contracted with the owner of a banquet hall on Route 9 in Manalapan to rent the hall on June 16, 2006, for his daughter's Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

Nanni agreed to pay the contractual price of $14,180 in installments. Nanni paid a total of $8,030 in five separate cash payments between January 2006 and September 2006, leaving an unpaid balance of $6,150, according to the press release.

During his factual basis before Chaiet, Nanni admitted that he purposely decided not to pay the balance of the fee for the rental of the facility and the services provided.

Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement and as required by New Jersey law, Nanni has forfeited his ability to hold future public office within the state of New Jersey.

In addition, Nanni will sign separate civil consent orders acknowledging the approximately $70,000 he owes the many victims whom he defrauded in this case. One consent order will pertain to the owner of the banquet hall.

The second consent order will pertain to the remaining New Jersey victims and the third consent order will pertain to the New York victims.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said, "Nanni violated his sacred oath as a Port Authority police officer by deliberately stealing money for purely selfish reasons. In so doing, he betrayed the trust of the department and of the children who played on the travel baseball team."

Valentin credited the Port Authority Police Department for its assistance and support during the investigation.