The current mayor of Wildwood, the city’s former mayor and a city commissioner were charged Friday with fraudulently participating in a public health plan they were not eligible to join, state authorities said.
Mayor Peter J. Byron, 67, former Mayor Ernest V. Troiano Jr., 71, and City Commissioner Steven E. Mikulski, 57, each face charges of theft by unlawful taking and tampering with public records or information, according to New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
“Today we bring charges against current and former public and elected officials for what we allege are breaches of the public trust,” Platkin said. “We will work tirelessly to root out public corruption and restore faith in our institutions.”
A 2010 state law mandated that elected officials be full-time employees with a fixed work schedule of 35 or more hours per week in their elected positions to be eligible for the State Health Benefits Program, authorities said. The trio, however, were not eligible for the health plan because they were never full-time employees under the law, according to the attorney general’s office. They did not receive vacation, sick, or personal days, and “maintained no regular schedule,” according to the agency.
Troiano and Byron were elected to Wildwood’s three-member city commission in 2011 and Troiano became mayor, authorities said. That same year, both men voted to pass a resolution which declared themselves as full-time employees working “a minimum of 35 hours per week” for Wildwood, prosecutors alleged. They later enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program.
“While Troiano and Byron did not work a regular full-time schedule or work at least 35 hours per week, they allegedly falsely signed and submitted timesheets to the city indicating they worked full days Monday through Friday,” according to a statement from the attorney general’s office.
Wildwood and the State Health Benefits Program paid more than $286,500 in premiums and claims on behalf of Troiano from July 2011 through December 2019, and paid more than $608,900 in premiums and claims on behalf of Byron from July 2011 through October 2021, according to authorities.
Mikulski was elected to the city commission in 2020 and enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program, leading to more than $103,000 in premiums and claims on his behalf through October 2021, the attorney general’s office said. The Wildwood commissioner allegedly “knowingly made false statements” on a health benefit enrollment and/or change form submitted to the city.
It was unclear if Byron or Mikulski would step down from their roles on the city’s three person commission.
Platkin said his office’s public corruption office launched a probe following a referral from the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits.
The accused could not be immediately for comment. Wildwood city officials did not immediately respond to messages.
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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
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