Former Parking Director Sentenced to Seven Years In Prison

John Corea, the former director of the Hoboken Parking Utility, was sentenced to seven years in state prison on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. 

Corea was ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution to the city of Hoboken by a judge in Ocean County, and he will be permenantly barred from public employment in New Jersey. Corea's sentence include three years of parole ineligibity. 

On Dec. 16, Corea plead guilty to official misconduct. Among other things, Corea admitted to streering three no-bid contracts to Toms River-based United Textile Fabricators to collect, count and manage the coins from the city's parking meters. In total, $600,000 was stolen from Hoboken's parking meters. 

"This was a very costly breach of public trust," said Stephen Taylor, Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in a press release.

Corea also admitted that he came to believe that United Textile and its owner, Brian Petaccio, 52, of Toms River, had stolen a substantial amount of the city’s parking revenues, but did not take any steps to stop the thefts or notify the city. When questioned by the city council about the matter, Corea admitted—by pleading guilty—to giving them false information. 

After an audit in 2007 uncovered parking revenue shortfalls, Petaccio and his company returned approximately $575,000 to the city, according to the U.S. Attorney's release on the matter. However, Petaccio admitted, in pleading guilty, that he diverted an additional $600,000 that was not reported to the city.  His sentencing is scheduled for April 20.