Former Wildwood, New Jersey Mayor Pleads Guilty

On March 29, 2023, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that former Wildwood, New Jersey Mayor Pete Byron was indicted over alleged participation in the New Jersey state health insurance program.

At the time, Platkin said:

Platkin today announced a state grand jury has returned a 12-count indictment against Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, former Mayor Ernest Troiano Jr., and current City Commissioner Steve Mikulski in connection with their allegedly fraudulent participation in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP).

On Friday, September 27, 2024, Byron plead guilty to:

theft.
records tampering.
filing a false tax return.

Under the plea agreement, Byron will be barred from holding public office. He also faces up to three years in prison.

The heart of the allegation is that a part-time commissioner or mayor was not entitled to accept health medical benefits that full-time employees are eligible to receive.

At the time of the indictment, Platkin said:

The grand jury has decided criminal charges should be filed against Byron, 67, Troiano, 72, and Mikulski, 57, all residents of Wildwood. They are each facing four counts: second-degree official misconduct, second-degree theft by unlawful taking, third-degree tampering with public records and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records. The defendants were charged by complaint in June 2022 in an investigation by the Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) that began with a referral from the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits. All three defendants pleaded not guilty, said Platkin.

Since 2020, elected officials must work a minimum of 35 hours per week in order to qualify for the medical health benefits.

Platkin maintains that Byron and the others did not qualify for the benefits.

For Byron‘s part in this, today, he admitted to receiving benefits that he was not entitled to.

Byron will be sentenced in early, 2025.