Broker Sentenced in Toms River School Bribe Scheme
An insurance broker who admitted his role in a bribery scheme involving New Jersey's fourth-largest school district has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
Francis X Gartland had pleaded guilty in April to mail fraud, conspiracy and perjury.
He admitted paying Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Ritacco between $1 million and $2 million from 2002 to 2010 as part of a scheme to keep his contract as the district's insurance broker.
Ritacco also pleaded guilty in April and received a similar sentence to Gartland's in September.
A federal judge in Trenton on Friday sentenced Gartland to 135 months in prison. He'll also have to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a hearing next month.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)