Mercer Times

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) have announced the sentencing of Salvatore Bonaccorso, the former mayor of Clark Township. Bonaccorso was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to using township employees for his private oil tank removal business and submitting fraudulent permit applications.

The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025, under New Jersey Superior Court Assignment Judge Lisa Miralles Walsh in Union County. This sentence aligns with a plea agreement reached between Bonaccorso and the State.

Bonaccorso had pleaded guilty on January 10, 2025, to charges of conspiring to commit official misconduct and forgery. As part of the plea deal, both Bonaccorso and his company, Bonaccorso & Son LLC, agreed to a five-year ban from public contracts and a three-year prohibition on conducting storage tank removals for private properties.

Attorney General Platkin stated, "The former mayor misused taxpayer-funded resources in Clark to benefit and enrich himself at residents’ expense." He emphasized that this prosecution ensures Bonaccorso will not abuse authority again. Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, added that "the career prosecutors in our office are committed to ensuring justice is done."

OPIA's investigation revealed that Bonaccorso operated his business from his township office using municipal resources such as computers and fax machines. Additionally, he fraudulently used an engineer’s credentials on permit applications without their involvement or required inspections taking place.

The investigation showed that between 2017 and 2023, fraudulent permits submitted by Bonaccorso amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars in job value. The plea was managed by OPIA Corruption Bureau Co-Director Jeffrey J. Manis and Deputy Chief Frank L. Valdinoto under Skinner's supervision.

Attorney General Platkin acknowledged contributions from the New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Division of Taxation, Office of Criminal Investigation, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection during the investigation.