Birdsall Sprung From Prison Early, After Serving Only Half A Year For Pay To Play Scheme

Howard M. Birdsall, who headed the now-defunct Birdsall Services Group, was released from prison recently after serving only six months of a four-year term for a pay-to-play scandal that destroyed his engineering firm, according to app.com.

Birdsall, 73, of Brielle, was released from prison to a court supervisory program on Oct. 20, according to the state Corrections Department website.

Ocean County Superior Court Judge James Den UYL sentenced Birdsall back in April. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 18 to misconduct by a corporate official and admitted he concealed or misrepresented political contributions for more than six years and reimbursed firm employees for campaign contributions.

The state Attorney General's Office did not oppose Birdsall's application for early release.

Birdsall and six other of the firm’s key executives were indicted in March of 2013, after the company made more than a $1 million in illegal campaign contributions. Birdsall made at least $49,808 in illegal donations, which he had to forfeit at sentencing.

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Image: Patch file photo.