HOBOKEN — For years, Hoboken-based CEO Jerry Carter was praised for starting his company, Priority Pay Payroll – otherwise known as First Priority Pay – and building it up to a million-dollar firm that was sold this year to larger firm ADP, for whom Carter had worked in the past. But Carter’s world was rocked Tuesday when police arrested him and issued a press release charging him with allegedly committing unthinkable acts of control and domination of his “naïve” 45-year-old assistant.
Wednesday morning, Police Lt. Mark Competello spoke more on the charges against Carter, including allegedly kidnapping the employee by telling her to wait for 12 hours in a Starbuck’s Coffee shop. In a more disturbing allegation, he allegedly had her take out a $150,000 accidental death policy on herself, with Carter as the beneficiary – a policy that, according to Competello, police have seen.
And in another bizarre twist, police say Carter asked her to eat a pizza after a cat was standing on it – and send him a cell phone photo of it.
Carter was released on $100,000 bail this morning, police said.
“Apparently the initial call was that someone was being held against their will [in a Hoboken apartment], and patrol uniform officer talked to her,” Competello said Wednesday. “She lived in an apartment sparsely [decorated], with little furniture. She started to tell this story. There was other corroborating evidence from employees. There were tapes and cell phone recordings of him [allegedly] engaging in this behavior, yelling, and a lot of e-mails, pictures. There’s nothing sexual, but there’s other evidence, and a couple of witnesses who corroborated this.”
Competello noted that the apparent victim had studied in Portugal to be a nun, and was “naïve” and “not worldly.” On numerous blog entries and postings on the internet, the victim said that she wanted to be a nun but could not perform certain duties because of health issues she had. She also frequently praises God.
Competello said he was unaware of the victim’s blog postings, which were discovered by the Reporter. They date back years and praise Carter and the company, including as recently as last month. However, some recent posts also express regret that the company was sold to ADP and that the assistant’s job would end.
Recently, an employee at the firm was arrested and charged with embezzling money, something Carter was not aware of. One source said that this employee may have provided the police with tips about the situation with the woman.
Competello said, “Some of the tapes that we have and in some of the evidence, we could hear his demeanor, it was [allegedly] like domination, screaming, yelling, giggling about what he’d [allegedly] just done. “
Carter’s Florham Park-based attorney did not immediately return a phone call this morning.
Victim’s most recent post
In the last two weeks, the victim (or someone using her name) made one post on the internet that seems to finally show a change of heart about her work. She wrote, verbatim:
So here it is. I no longer work for First Priority Pay. It’s not that I didn’t love my work .. as I loved my work very much or that I had anything against anyone I worked with; there was more going on then work and the situation had to be stopped.
I found out all about the sale to ADP and knew time was slowly dwindling; yet I still gave 101 percent to what I did.
I miss my work .. I miss speaking to people about payroll and hope soon to be able to hook up with another company that is offering reasonable pricing coupled with quality service.
Some very good advice.. don’t let anyone bully you or scare you into things you don’t believe in. Bullies are really cowards who pick on the weak. They use power as a way of scaring people into doing things beyond that which is required and threats to keep control over your life.
If you are in a controlling situation : get out.. Don’t let it get out of hand . Call 911 if you ever feel that you are in an abusive relationship.. whether it is at home or work.
The police release
Below is part of Tuesday’s press release from the police, verbatim. Any charges and accusations are just allegations at this point:
Hoboken Police Arrest CEO Jerry Carter of Carter & Consultants, LLC
Hoboken Police (HPD) have made an arrest of a 30 year-old Hoboken business executive for Kidnapping; Criminal Restraint;Harassment and Bias Intimidation after an investigation into allegations made by a former 45 year old-female employee, of First Priority Pay in which Mr. Jerry Carter was the CEO.
According to an Internet bio on Mr. Jerry Carter, he founded and was the CEO of a company called First Priority Pay of Hoboken, NJ and later sold that company to ADP, after becoming a self-proclaimed “millionaire.” He is currently listed as a managing partner of Carter & Consultants, LLC also based out of Hoboken, NJ. Mr. Carter resides in Clark, NJ. The victim is a 45 year-old female former employee, who resided in Hoboken, NJ and also has a residence in West Virginia.
According to the female victim, she was employed by First Priority pay since 2006, where she was hired as a telemarketer by Carter and was employed at home in West Virginia. In March of this year, at the behest of Carter the victim moved to New Jersey. The victim states she resided in several hotels and cities in New Jersey for a period of approximately (7) months until moving to Hoboken in October of 2009 to an apartment provided by Mr. Carter. The victim gave statements to Detectives that described disturbing behavior and criminal allegations she endured on account of Carter.
The charge of Kidnapping according to the complaint, states Carter [allegedly] removed the victim from her residence, against her will, and “ordered” her to stay at a Starbucks coffee shop for (12) hours with the purpose to [allegedly] terrorize and control her freedom.
The complaint further charges Criminal Restraint, in which the victim alleges Carter held her in a condition of “involuntary servitude,” specifically by forcing her to remain in her residence for extended periods on his commands, and perform work without making any monetary compensation. The victim also states she was also never provided a key to the apartment. The victim detailed disturbing and bizarre acts she was [allegedly] forced to perform on orders of Carter, who demanded he be called “DOM” short for DOMINATOR. Carter [allegedly] threatened the victim with harm if she reported her living conditions or treatment to police, including retaliation by others…
The charge of Terroristic Threats, alleges that Carter threatened to “kill” the victim causing the victim to believe the threat was credible and may be carried out by Carter if she did not comply with his demands of her. The charge of Harassment was based on the [alleged] ongoing and alarming criminal conduct and abuse directed at the victim by Mr. Carter.
The final charge of Bias Intimidation, is based upon a medical disability the victim suffered from, and that Carter was allegedly aware of…
The investigation lasted several months, and was headed by Detective Sergeant Edwin Pantoja and Detective Richard Torres. According to Lieutenant Mark Competello, Detective Bureau Commander, “The allegations and behavior alleged by the victim in this case are both bizarre and disturbing and no person should be subjected to this type of abusive treatment.” However, Mr. Carter must be afforded the presumption of innocence, until such time these allegations are adjudicated in a court of law.”
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