| Matthew V. Scannapieco | |
| Office: | Mayor of Marlboro, New Jersey |
| Predecessor: | Saul Hornik |
| Successor: | Robert Kleinberg |
| Birth Date: | 21 May 1944 |
| Birth Place: | Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Barbara (1978-2002) Michelle (2002-2005) |
| Residence: | Middletown, Delaware |
| Battles: | Vietnam War |
Matthew V. Scannapieco (born May 21, 1944) served as Mayor of Marlboro, New Jersey from 1992[1] to 2003.[2] During the course of his career in public service, Scannapieco, a Republican, also served on the Township Council, the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustment.[3] During his tenure, as mayor he not only sat on the planning board but also appointed all but one of the other members.[2] During this time, Marlboro township experienced a 40 percent increase in housing units in Marlboro, or nearly 3,500 new units.[4] In 2005, in the case of United States of America v. Matthew V. Scannapieco, he was charged with illegally accepting cash payments to influence planning processes and tax evasion.[5]
Scannapieco pleaded guilty to accepting $245,000 in bribes from several land developers.[6] [7] On June 20, 2008, Matthew Scannapieco was sentenced to serve nearly two years in prison. The sentence was reduced from 15 years as the ex-mayor helped authorities in their probe of corruption in the Monmouth County township, specifically, the prosecution of three major developers including Anthony Spalliero.[8]
The former mayor also pleaded guilty to tax evasion, specifically for failing to pay federal taxes on the money he accepted from several land developers involved with W.B. Associates.[9]
Scannapieco admitted receiving the following corrupt payments in exchange for his official action:
In pleading guilty to tax evasion, Scannapieco admitted that he did not report to the IRS any of the bribe payments he received from the developer. A certified public accountant and certified financial auditor, Scannapieco also admitted that he regularly purchased cashier's checks and postal money orders - in structured amounts and with cash to avoid federal cash-transaction reports - and used the cashier's checks and money orders for personal expenses. Scannapieco admitted that between tax years 1998 and 2002, he failed to pay more than $80,000 in additional taxes.[10]
In August 2015, he pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse. His victim, a relative, was six years old at the start of the abuse, which lasted two years. Scannapieco sexually abused the girl over a three-year period while awaiting sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty to the tax and bribery charges in 2005. Arrested in August 2014 and charged with sexually abusing the girl, he pleaded guilty in May to continuous sexual abuse of a child, rape, and unlawful sexual contact. The judge sentenced Scannapieco to 58 years total on sexual abuse charges—a mandatory 25 years behind bars and then 33 years' probation.[11]