Little Silver Man, Who Worked As Hudson County Parks Director, Admits Receiving Bribes

LITTLE SILVER, NJ — A Little Silver resident, who used to work as the Hudson County Parks Department Director, admitted he received bribes in exchange for giving out $5 million in contracts to work in Hudson County Parks.

Thomas DeLeo, 76, of Little Silver, pleaded guilty March 5 before a federal judge to two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is facing 20 years in prison at sentencing.

Also, Russell Fallacara, who succeeded DeLeo as the director of Hudson County Parks, perpetuated the scheme, said the U.S. Attorney's office for the district of New Jersey. Fallacara was similarly charged with the exact same crimes: Conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The feds allege Fallacara received over $400,000 in cash bribes and kickbacks.

From about 2019 through 2024, business owner William Murray paid DeLeo and Fallacara a total of $1.5 million in bribes and kickbacks, so Murray’s company would be awarded contracts to work on various Hudson County Parks Department projects.

Murray owned Murray Paving and Concrete company. These contracts included doing landscape maintenance, paving and general contracting projects in the parks.

While DeLeo and Fallacara were running the Hudson County Parks System, the feds say they approved more than $5 million in payments to Murray’s company to work in Hudson County parks.

Murray would make cash payments to DeLeo and Fallacara, said federal prosecutors. In one instance, DeLeo received a bag containing between approximately $60,000 and $90,000 in cash. In other instances, Murray used a consulting company (unnamed) to launder the bribes, in order to conceal the source of the payments, say the feds.

Murray, 56, a Jersey City resident, pleaded guilty March 17 to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Fallacara, 58, a Bayonne resident, had his first appearance in federal court in Newark Friday, March 20, and was released on bond.

Murray also gave DeLeo, Fallacara and their associates free home repairs and renovations, which federal prosecutors say amounted to bribes.

Here are the complaints against all three men:

• Murray.Information.pdf
• Fallacara.Complaint.pdf
• DeLeo.Information.pdf