NEW JERSEY COMPUTERS STOLEN State employee pleads guilty in computer/scrap metal scheme | State | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.

State employee pleads guilty in computer/scrap metal scheme
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:11

Corruption in New Jersey government reached a new low Wednesday when a suspended state warehouse employee pleaded guilty to official misconduct for his role in a scheme in which he and co-workers stole computer equipment and illegally sold metal for recycling from the Department of Treasury's warehouse in Hamilton.

According to Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni, Thomas Sundstrom, 67, of Southampton, pleaded guilty to third-degree official misconduct before state Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier in Trenton.

Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Sundstrom be sentenced to 364 days in the county jail as a condition of a term of probation. Sundstrom was required by the state to forfeit his state job and will be permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey. He could face a fine of up to $15,000.

Billmeier scheduled sentencing for Sundstrom for Oct. 29.

In pleading guilty, Sundstrom admitted that he gave computer equipment from the warehouse to people who were not entitled to receive it at the direction of the supervisor of the warehouse, David Winkler, 47, of Bordentown. Sundstrom said he gave computer equipment to a co-worker, Dominick Mangine, 45, of Jackson, who previously pleaded guilty in the case, and also gave computer equipment to juveniles who were assigned to the warehouse as part of a work-study program of the Juvenile Justice Commission.

Winkler and Sundstrom were indicted on Nov. 20. The indictment charged that Winkler and Sundstrom misappropriated computer equipment for the personal use of other individuals, including other warehouse employees. Winkler was also charged with running a scheme in which he and other employees illicitly sold more than $24,000 in scrap metal and divided the proceeds between July 2005 and April 2007. Winkler and Sundstrom were suspended from their state jobs after their arrests on April 10, 2008.

Two other former warehouse employees have pleaded guilty in connection with the scrap metal scheme. They are James Mate, 49, of Yardville and William Gawroski III, 33, of Hamilton.

The charges resulted from a yearlong investigation by the State Police that commenced when Treasury officials obtained information that Gawroski was taking illegal payments from a recycling company in return for helping the company to secure more valuable equipment in auctions of surplus state computer equipment.

The probe quickly expanded to include allegations that employees at the warehouse were taking home state-owned computers and that Winkler and other employees were taking surplus metal equipment to a non-approved recycler, selling it for cash as scrap metal, and splitting the money. The surplus metal items sold as scrap included desks, filing cabinets and other furniture and equipment.

The investigation was conducted and coordinated by Lt. Keith Dangler, Det. Sgt. John Cappetta and Det. Sgt. Vincent Greene of the State Police State Governmental Security Bureau Investigations Unit, and Deputy Attorneys General Anthony Picione and David M. Fritch.

Mate pleaded guilty to official misconduct and was sentenced on March 26 to three years in state prison. He and his co-defendants who pleaded guilty in the scrap metal scheme are responsible for full restitution for the thefts of $24,292. All of them forfeited their state jobs.

Mangine, who held the job of storekeeper at the warehouse, pleaded guilty to a charge of a pattern of official misconduct and was sentenced on Feb. 26 to 364 days in the Mercer County Jail as a condition of two years of probation. He also was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. Gawroski pleaded guilty on April 11, 2008 to a pattern of official misconduct. He faces probation.

The charges are pending against Winkler, who is free on $25,000 bail. The indictment charges him with conspiracy, two counts of official misconduct,theft by unlawful taking, and misapplication of entrusted property and property of government.

Attorney General Anne Milgram noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free corruption tipline for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the division web site at njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the tipline or Web page will remain confidential.

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM