Ex-NJDOT Buyer From Collingswood Sentenced For Fraud: AG

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — A former purchaser for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) from Collingswood has been sentenced to three years in state prison after admitting to violating departmental rules in order to award contracts to a vendor who had befriended him, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced.

The vendor charged much more than other vendors, costing the state an additional $93,059 in total on purchases authorized by 62-year-old Ricardo Noce Jr., according to authorities. Noce previously pleaded guilty to an accusation charging him with second-degree misapplication of entrusted property or property of government, authorities said.

Noce forfeited his job and is permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey, authorities said. He must also pay restitution of $93,059 to the state.

Noce was responsible for purchasing equipment and supplies for DOT's Southern Region. Between November 2013 and December 2017, Noce is accused of awarding purchase contracts to his friend in violation of a rule requiring competitive bidding for purchases over $1,000 on more than 30 occasions.

Noce structured the orders so each contract was under the threshold, authorities said. He would split large items for identical orders – such as work gloves, for example — into multiple contracts, each with a price under $1,000, authorities allege.

This practice, which is specifically prohibited, enabled him to avoid the rule requiring that he solicit quotes from three bidders for such contracts and award the contract to the lowest bidder, authorities said.

The favored vendor routinely charged the state much more than other vendors charged for the same items. In total, the vendor charged the state an estimated $93,059 over prices offered by other vendors in contracts awarded by Noce, authorities said.

This included, but was not limited to, the contracts in which Noce violated the competitive bidding rule.

"The rules governing state contracting are designed to prevent this type of favoritism and waste," Grewal said. "We are sending a clear message that we have zero tolerance for government employees who betray the public's trust to serve their own interests and the interests of their friends."

Deputy Attorneys General John A. Nicodemo and Jonathan Gilmore prosecuted Noce and took the guilty plea for the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The NJDOT's Office of the Inspector General (NJDOT-OIG) initially investigated Noce and referred the case to the OPIA.

"We will continue to work with the DOT to safeguard the integrity of government contracts and the interests of New Jersey taxpayers," OPIA Director Thomas J. Eicher said. "We urge anyone who has information about fraud in government contracting or other official misconduct to contact us confidentially at 844-OPIA-TIPS."

"The New Jersey Department of Transportation does not tolerate the misapplication of state property," New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. "I commend NJDOT's Office of the Inspector General for its discovery of these crimes and appreciate the investigative support and prompt action from the Division of Criminal Justice. Waste, fraud and abuse in the expenditure of public funds will not be tolerated."