HOBOKEN — A local man built up a payroll company called Priority Pay Payroll in Hoboken and won lots of notice this year, including being recognized as one of New Jersey’s “Top 40 Business People Under 40” by NJ Business Magazine.
But now Jerry Carter has to defend himself against some disturbing charges from his former 45-year-old assistant.
The local daily newspaper notes:
“The attorney for Jerry Carter, the Hoboken self-made millionaire who was arrested today on charges he kidnapped, intimidated, and harassed a 45-year-old for eight months, says his client is not guilty. ‘We will contest the charges vigorously,’ [the attorney said]. Carter is accused of [allegedly] keeping the assistant in ‘involuntary servitude,’ making her work for 24 hours at a time without any monetary compensation, giving her bizarre commands such as to sit in a bathtub for hours, eat pizza after having a cat sit on it, call Carter ‘Dom’ short for ‘Dominator’ — and telling her he would kill her if she didn’t do exactly what he said.”
The police also told the local press that the arrest came after an investigation.
UPDATE: The story gets a bit stranger. A bit of cyber-digging unearths the fact that the apparent victim has tributes around the web to the company and to her boss, whom she (until recently) thought of as her best friend. A very religious woman, she also has many posts proclaiming her faith in God and Jesus.
She also had sent a letter to the Hoboken Reporter last year, praising the company. The letter was not printed.
More on this story as it develops…