T.R. Schools to Get Nearly $6 Million for Years of Corruption

Imprisoned former Toms River Regional Schools Chief Mike Ritacco and Former Insurance Broker Francis Gartland are being ordered to pay over $4-million in restitution to the school district jointly. The order from U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano Wednesday in a Trenton federal court room is related to a bribery and kickback scheme that ran from 2002 to 2010.

Judge Pisano issued an opinion in which he said the Court concluded that the school district was "unquestionably" the victim of the defendants bribery and kickback scheme and determined the loss to be $4,336,987.91. The court said the losses consisted of excess monies the district paid to Gartland and his entities which were then passed to Ritacco as bribes, derived from the district's health insurance coverage and worker's compensation program.

Also, former Toms River Regional School District Athletics Supervisor and Supervisor of Special Projects Frank D'Alonzo was ordered to pay $1,625,952.79 in restitution.

Ritacco, 64, of Seaside Heights and Gartland, 71, of Baltimore, Md., and D'Alonzo, 55 of Lavallette, all previously pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the bribery and kickback scheme and. Ritacco and Gartland were sentenced to 135 months in prison. D'Alonzo was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

In addition to ordering restitution, the Court also ordered Gartland to forfeit $11 million to the United States which represents all the proceeds derived from the scheme. D'Alonzo was also ordered to forfeit $4.3 million, which represents the proceeds from the scheme while he was an active participant. Prior to the sentencing on September 14, 2012, Ritacco forfeited $1 million to the United States, a Mercedes Benz and $8,950 cash.