BAYONNE — Based on an audit done of the Bayonne Parking Authority, the city of Bayonne has filed criminal charges against former city assistant attorney, Peter Cresci, for theft by deception, according to Public Safety Director Jason O’Donnell.
City Attorney Charles D’Amico filed the charges against Cresci on Tuesday with the Bayonne Police Department alleging that Cresci had assumed without authorization the duties as executive director of the Parking Authority in late 2007 until fired by the city in the summer of 2009.
An investigation done in 2010 by a legal firm hired to unravel the mess at the Parking Authority indicated that Cresci allegedly took control of the authority without a vote for the Parking Authority Commissioners and was allegedly paid as a full time employee at the authority, at a time when Cresci was already employed full time by the city as the business administrator and part time as the city’s assistant attorney. He also maintained a private legal practice during that period.
Cresci, who filed suit against the Parking Authority last month, alleges that he was forced out of the position as part of a political purge. He was also fired as city business administrator last May. He said after that firing, he was pressured to resign from his Parking Authority post as well which he refused to do.
O’Donnell said criminal charges are partly based on a settlement of a portion of Cresci’s lawsuit, in which Cresci apparently agreed that he was not an employee of the Parking Authority.
Although not available for comment at press time, Cresci has in the past questioned the accuracy of the report and claims made prior to the report by Mayor Mark Smith at a public meeting of the City Council.
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