UPDATE: Former East Haven Zoning Official Pleads Guilty

Former East Haven Zoning Enforcement Officer Frank Biancur Jr., 41, of West Haven, who had been charged with seeking and receiving illegal payments while employed as a Zoning Enforcement Officer, pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to a federal charge of mail fraud, federal authorities said in a prepared statement.

In pleading guilty, Biancur admitted that he sought and received payments from at least five individuals in exchange for official acts he rendered as the Zoning Enforcement Officer.

He was originally charged in May and resigned in June. He could face a maximum 20 year sentence.

No sentencing date has been assigned and he remains free on a $20,000 bond.

According to the criminal complaint and to statements made in court, Biancur had been employed as the Town of East Haven’s Planning and Zoning Administrator/Zoning Enforcement Officer.

Earlier this year, a resident of East Haven contacted the East Haven Police Department and the FBI with information that he/she had been extorted by Biancur since approximately October 2012 and, as a result, had made cash payments to Biancur, federal officials have said.

The complaint alleges that, most recently, on May 19, 2015 Biancur called the victim and informed the victim that Biancur had to inspect an addition to the victim’s residence, the federal government states.

Although Biancur stated that he was “fighting” for the victim, he also demanded a payment of $200 or he would make the victim tear down the addition, the federal officials allege. On May 21, 2015, the victim engaged in a consensually-recorded meeting with Biancur at Biancur’s office in East Haven Town Hall.

During the meeting, the victim gave Biancur $200 in cash, which Biancur put in his pocket, federal officials allege.

Prior to his employment by the Town of East Haven, Biancur was employed by the City of West Haven and the City of Bridgeport.