More Indictments in FBI Undercover Operation in Monmouth County, NJ

As discussed in a previous post (here) about a number of arrests of public officials in Monmouth County, New Jersey, charges against three additional defendants for money laundering were filed on March 10 as part of a widening crackdown on public corruption resulting from an extensive undercover FBI operation.  A press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office details charges against the defendants:

Criminal complaints were unsealed today charging a Monmouth County truck and equipment contractor, a transportation service owner and a Far Hills councilman with laundering large sums of cash in exchange for kickbacks from undercover agents in an FBI corruption investigation, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

One of the complaints charges Stephen Appolonia, 52, of Colts Neck, the co-owner of International Trucks of Central Jersey, based in Howell and Hillside. The company sells International-brand trucks and other equipment to Monmouth County and various municipalities in Monmouth and elsewhere.

The same complaint charges Far Hills Councilman and police commissioner Thomas A. Greenwald, 52, a friend of Appolonia whom Appolonia introduced to undercover agents when Greenwald also wanted to participate in the money-laundering scheme, according to the criminal complaint. Greenwald and Appolonia ultimately laundered more than $350,000, according to the criminal complaint.

The indictment quotes the third defendant as describing his limousine business as "the greatest washing machine in the world" -- that may be tough to explain to a jury.  The criminal complaints filed in the case are here and here. (ph)