New Jersey Employees Charged with Stealing from State Warehouse

Media Release April 11, 2008

TRENTON – Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that a warehouse supervisor and four other state employees have been charged with official misconduct for allegedly stealing surplus equipment from a state warehouse in Hamilton.

One employee, William Gawroski III, 32, of Hamilton, pleaded guilty to an official misconduct charge today in Superior Court in Trenton. The supervisor and three other employees at the Department of Treasury's First Avenue Warehouse were arrested yesterday by the State Police. Each was charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree theft by unlawful taking.

The charges resulted from a year-long investigation by the New Jersey State Police that commenced when Treasury officials obtained information that Gawroski was taking illegal payments from a recycling company in return for helping the company to secure more valuable equipment in auctions of surplus state computer equipment.

The State Police probe quickly expanded to include allegations that employees at the warehouse were taking home state-owned computers and that the warehouse supervisor, David Winkler, 46, of Bordentown, was running a scheme in which employees took surplus metal equipment to a non-approved recycler, sold it for cash as scrap metal, and split the money.

"We have zero tolerance for officials who steal or misappropriate public property," said Attorney General Milgram. "It makes no difference whether it is called surplus or scrap. This was property worth thousands of dollars that belonged to the state and its taxpayers."

Winkler, Gawroski and two other defendants – Dominick Mangine, 44, of Jackson, and James Mate, 47, of Yardville – were charged with illicitly selling more than $24,000 in scrap metal and dividing the proceeds between July 2005 and April 2007. The surplus metal items sold as scrap included desks, filing cabinets and other furniture and equipment.

In addition, Winkler and Mangine were charged with assisting Gawroski to steal a computer and related accessories from the warehouse on Dec. 17, 2007. Another employee, Thomas Sundstrom, 65, of Southampton, was also charged with assisting in that theft.

The warehouse is part of a work study program of the Juvenile Justice Commission in which about a dozen juveniles assigned to the JJC worked with the defendants under the supervision of Winkler assisting with warehouse duties, refinishing furniture and learning job readiness skills.

"These men were supposed to be rehabilitating JJC youth to become productive members of society," said Attorney General Milgram. "Instead, they were providing the worst possible example."

Gawroski pleaded guilty today to an accusation charging him with third-degree pattern of official misconduct before Superior Court Judge Charles A. Delehey. He admitted that he participated in the scrap metal thefts and took $1,400 in illegal payments from a recycling company.

Scrap metal from the warehouse is supposed to go to one recycling company that has a contract with the state to buy it. The company credits the state for each load and pays Treasury by check. Gawroski admitted that he participated in a scheme with Winkler, Mangine and Mate in which they took the scrap metal to another recycling company in Trenton, which paid up to several hundred dollars in cash per load. He said the men divided the cash. Under the plea agreement, Gawroski must pay restitution to the Department of Treasury of $24,292.

Gawroski further admitted that he received payments totaling $1,400 from Bruin Computer Trading LLC in connection with Bruin's purchase of pallets of surplus computer equipment at state auction. Gawroski admitted that he took payments from employees of Bruin in return for identifying auction pallets that contained more valuable equipment and, in some cases, loading more and better equipment on pallets for Bruin. Gawroski must surrender the $1,400.

Under the plea agreement, Gawroski must forfeit his state employment and be permanently barred from any public employment in New Jersey. The state will recommend a probationary sentence for Gawroski. He also may face a criminal fine of up to $15,000. Judge Delehey scheduled Gawroski's sentencing for June 30.

The investigation was conducted by Lt. Keith Dangler, Detective Sgt. 1st Class John Cappetta and Detective Sgt. Vincent Greene of the State Police State Governmental Security Bureau Investigations Unit. Deputy Attorney General Anthony Picione is handling the case for the Division of Criminal Justice - Corruption Bureau. He is deputy chief of the bureau.

Second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Bail was set at $25,000 for Winkler, and at $20,000 each for Mangine, Mate and Sundstrom. The charges filed against them are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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