Two sentenced for roles in Marlboro corruption
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Bernard Meiterman, 43, of Manalapan, and Edward Kay, 39, ofMarlboro, were both sentenced to serve time in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton last week.

The two men were sentenced for bribing Frank G. Abate, the former executive director of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA), with thousands of dollars in architectural drawings to gain favor in getting sewer service to their projects based in Marlboro.

The architectural drawings were for an addition to Abate's home in Marlboro.

Meiterman, an attorney, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and fined $7,500 by Wigenton on June 5. He has been ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons by Aug. 5. Under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Meiterman faced a possible sentence of 37 to 46 months in federal prison.

Kay, a real estate partner with the Meitermans, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison and fined $4,000 by Wigenton on June 6. He faced a sentence of 18 to 24 months under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Kay was ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons by Aug. 15.

Bernard Meiterman, his brother Steven Meiterman, 44, of Marlboro, and their business partner Kay all pleaded guilty in October to a violation of a federal law known as the Travel Act (using U.S. mail to facilitate corrupt payments to a public official).

All three defendants were initially arrested and charged by indictment in December 2006, and a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against them in March 2007.

All three defendants admitted at their plea hearings to bribing Abate by paying for thousands of dollars in architectural drawings for Abate's home in exchange for Abate exercising his authority as the WMUA's executive director for their benefit.

Steven Meiterman and Bernard Meiterman further admitted 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 of multiple counts of corruption following a trial in May 2007. Wigenton sentenced Abate to 51 months in federal prison and fined him $10,000.Abate was acquitted of several counts at his trial.

According to attorney Joseph Benedict, who represents Abate, an appeal of the convictions is still pending. Abate is currently serving his sentence at U.S. Penitentiary-Canaan, near Scranton, Pa.

Steven Meiterman is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8.

"The Meitermans were part of the culture of corruption that had come to infect Marlboro government. As an attorney, Bernard Meiterman's corrupt acts take on even greater significance," U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Christopher J. Christie said in a prepared release.