Former Senior VP Of Demolition Company Admits Taking $340,000 In Bribes To Steer Contracts To Cinelli Iron & Metal Co.

NEWARK, N.J. – A former senior vice president of a national demolition company today admitted accepting $341,052 from the chief executive officer and from the president of a scrap metal company to steer business to them, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Frank Aiello, 53, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Aiello worked as a senior vice president at Corporate Victim 1, a demolition and remediation services company with offices throughout the United States, including New Jersey.

Cinelli Iron & Metal Co. Inc. purchased scrap metal for resale. Cinelli was headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, and operated three scrap metal recycling facilities in New Jersey. Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1) was a co-owner of Cinelli. Co-Conspirator 2 (CC-2) was the President and co-owner of Cinelli.

From 2013 through 2016 Aiello participated in a conspiracy with CC-1 and CC-2 to defraud Corporate Victim 1 of its right to his honest services in the performance of his duties. The principal goal of the conspiracy was for Aiello to use his position to enrich himself by soliciting and accepting gifts, payments, and other things of value from the two Cinelli conspirators in exchange for actions favorable to their business, and for the Cinelli officials to enrich themselves by secretly obtaining favorable action through corrupt means.

The wire fraud conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Mikulka in New York; special agents with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Douglas Shoemaker in New York; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Daniel Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: John Azzarello Esq., Morristown, New Jersey