Cleaning Supplier Pleads Guilty to Ripping County Off for More than $120K

The owner of a cleaning and maintenance supply company admitted in court Wednesday to bribing a county official and pocketing more than $120,000 in proceeds from payment of fake invoices he created over a period of five years.

Richard Greer, 54, of Marlboro Township, pleaded guilty in a Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a press release.

Greer owned and operated Positive Attitude, LLC, his commercial cleaning supply firm that provided cleaning and maintenance products to the county. Greer admitted he bribed Aniello Palmieri, former director of the Division of Facilities Management for Union County, $500 a month to make sure Greer would keep receiving lucrative county business, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

To make up that money, Greer made up fictitious invoices for products the county never purchased. Greer upped the amount of the fake invoices to include a profit for himself above the money with which he bribed Pallmieri, the federal prosecutor's office said.

Greer received $120,000 to $200,000 in fraudulent proceeds from the fictitious invoices. Greer sent the fake invoices by mail - the source of the mail fraud charge—and received checks he cashed from the county.

The conspiracy to commit mail fraud charge to which Greer pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The plea agreement reached with Greer requires him to pay restitution of $185,000.

 Greer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2014.