Prison For Man Who Sent Racist Email To Old Bridge Councilwoman

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — An Old Bridge man who police say sent a racist, harassing email to an Old Bridge Councilwoman has been sentenced to six months in prison for the crime of bias intimidation.

According to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Adam Valvo, 50, sent what the prosecutor called a racist email to former Old Bridge Councilwoman Edina Brown on March 7, 2021. The email contained profanities and racial slurs.

The email was sent anonymously, but Old Bridge Police investigated and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Bias Crimes Unit was also brought in.

A join investigation revealed that Valvo had sent the email to Brown.

According to MyCentralJersey.com and NJ.com, the email contained the N-word multiple times and told the Councilwoman to get out of Old Bridge. The author "said they did not know how Brown got elected in a 'Republican township' and wanted to do 'everything in my power to get your n----- a-- out of here,'" according to NJ.com.

The councilwoman said she feared for her safety.

On April 27 of last year, Valvo was charged with two counts of fourth-degree bias intimidation and one count of harassment.

He pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree bias intimidation. On March 24 of this year, Middlesex County Judge Hon. Craig Corson sentenced Valvo to six months in jail at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center followed by two years of probationary supervision.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Ciccone emphasized that using racist language to harass or intimidate an elected official is a crime in New Jersey — and her office will prosecute those who do so to the fullest extent of the law.

"Hateful filled rhetoric used as a weapon of intimidation in the commission of a crime has no place in Middlesex County," said Ciccone, Middlesex County's first-ever female prosecutor. "I also want to applaud the efforts of law enforcement who worked arduously to bring closure to Ms. Brown."

Old Bridge Police Detective William Dugan and Detective Jason Mendelson of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined Valvo authored and sent the email.