Thought it remains unclear when it will arrive and just how much will be paid, Toms River schools are expecting a few million dollars in restitution stemming from the Michael Ritacco bribery case.  A U.S. District Judge concluded last December that the district was "unquestionably" the victim of the bribery and kickback scheme involving Ritacco and others and should be paid $4.3 million in restitution. If the guilty cannot pay all of that, insurance is expected to pay $2 million. Whatever the sum, administrators will need to figure out how to appropriate the funds. "If and when that money …

Francis X. Gartland, the former insurance broker for the Toms River Regional School District, was sentenced Friday to 135 months in prison for his role in a scheme to pay bribes and other benefits to then-superintendent Michael J. Ritacco, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.  Gartland, 71, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano to charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and perjury. Pisano imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. In September, a federal judge sentenced Ritacco to 135 months – just over 11 years – in prison. Gartland …

The first meeting since school began, and since the former disgraced superintendent was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for corruption, saw the Toms River Regional school board and administration address heated public questions and pour out official responses to two years of scandal. Addressing the scandal of former superintendent Michael Ritacco was often a topic of the school board meeting Tuesday night at Toms River North. Here is a synopsis of the meeting. District Issues Official Statement on Ritacco Sentencing An amended statement, similar to the one the district …

As he outlined his sentence for the former schools superintendent who admitted to 12 years of corruption at Toms River Regional, Judge Joel Pisano decried the level of trust school board members gave Michael Ritacco over the years while he stole from the district. Michael Ritacco had the complete trust of the Toms River Regional School Board, said Pisano as he sentencing to Ritacco to more than 11 years in prison, and the board members shouldn't have trusted him. "As superintendent, Mr. Ritacco had authority over virtually all aspects of school district operations. He had virtually complete …

TRENTON — The former superintendent of Toms River Regional was sentenced to 135 months of jail and voluntarily submitted to U.S. Marshals Friday afternoon to begin serving his sentence immediately. Michael Ritacco, guilty of tax evasion and mail fraud relating to more than $2.5 million in bribes and kickbacks passed between the former superintendent and co-conspirators, also faces a restitution hearing, his lawyers said. Attorney William Hughes confirmed no restitution was ordered at the sentencing Friday and instead a separate court proceeding, possibly in December, will be scheduled to …

Former Toms River Schools Superintendent Michael Ritacco was sentenced to 135 months federal jail time at a sentencing today where a federal judge admonished him for 12 years of kickbacks and bribery for insurance contracts in the school district. Judge Joel Pisano called the scheme "the worst case of public corruption he has ever seen" and ordered Ritacco to serve 135 months for one count of mail fraud and 60 months concurrently one count of tax evasion. Ritacco admitted in his plea of guilt that approximately $2.5 million in kickbacks and bribes passed hands between him and co-conspirators …

Proceedings began at 10 a.m. for the sentencing of former Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Ritacco on federal charges. Ritacco, dressed in a black suit, arrived with his counsel, Jerome A. Ballaratto and William J. Hughes. Proceedings began shortly at 10 a.m., with Ritacco seated between this two attorneys, his right hand sometimes resting on his face and chin, as sentencing Judge Joel Pisano explained the parameters of sentencing guidelines. At 10:15 a.m. Ballaratto began to discuss Ritacco's contribution to the community, suggesting a 60 month sentence. Multiple supporters…

A series of intermediaries allegedly associated with the kickback schemes of former superintendent Michael Ritacco have plead guilty but still await sentencing. The former Toms River Regional Superintendent pleaded guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 million in bribes were allegedly passed between Ritacco, insurance brokers and intermediaries. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy to impede the IRS. Ritacco could face 11 to 14 years jail time, according to sentencing …

Awaiting punishment after pleading guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy, former Superintendent Michael Ritacco has a new sentencing date, now rescheduled for Sept. 14. The sentencing of the former Toms River Regional superintendent was originally scheduled for July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. But, in June, it was postponed. Now Pisano is scheduled to sentence Ritacco at a 10 a.m. Sept. 14 in Trenton federal court. The new sentencing date was made Aug. 8, according to court documents. The Sept. 14 sentencing will be in Courtroom 1. Ritacco pleaded guity April…

You can see the outline of where the letters used to be. But that's all that remains of the former name of the Pine Belt Arena, which was previously known as the Ritacco Center. Though the Poland Springs Arena name changed due to a new contract for naming rights, the other name — the Ritacco Center — was dropped shortly after former Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco's indictment for more than $2 million in federal tax evasion and bribery. The words "Ritacco Center" were covered shortly after the October 2010 indictment, and the main sign remained hidden under white until the district took it …

The sentencing of former Superintendent Michael Ritacco is postponed, and no new date has been set. According to the case docket, a court clerk's note entered June 11 says the sentencing is postponed. The sentencing of former Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Ritacco was originally scheduled for July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. Ritacco plead guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 million in bribes were allegedly passed between Ritacco, …

Residents have the option of sending written comments to the sentencing judge prior to the sentencing of Toms River Regional's disgraced former superintendent on fraud charges. The sentencing of former Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Ritacco is July 12, before U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton. Ritacco plead guity April 5 to two of the 27 charges he was facing, and admitted his role in years of corruption at the school district, where as much as $2.5 million in bribes were allegedly passed between Ritacco, insurance brokers and intermediaries. He pleaded guilty to…

Editor's note: Statement by Ed Gearity, president of the Board of Education. 1. We want to address the recent guilty plea by the former Superintendent for taking bribes to influence school district contracts. That represents the conclusion of a sad chapter in the history of our district and our community. It is most unfortunate that our reputation is being damaged by the actions of a few individuals who schemed to defraud our district. Our community takes great pride in our schools, and will continue to take great pride in our schools. What we need to remind ourselves, is that Toms River …

Disgraced former Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco has dropped a lawsuit that sought his unused benefits, which the school district agreed to not pay after Ritacco retired the same day as a federal indictment for corruption charges. The lawsuit, filed October 2011, was dismissed without prejudice by Judge Douglas Albert in U.S. Magistrate court on April 23. Ritacco was suing for $15,000 in unused sick days, $23,750 for 25 unused vacation days from the 2008-09 school year, and $24,062.50 for 25 unused vacation days from the 2009-10 school year. He also was suing for…

The scandal surrounding former Toms River Regional superintendent Michael J. Ritacco was one of the reasons the Seaside Heights Board of Education decided to go with Central Regional Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides instead, a board official said. "Nobody wants to be associated with Toms River anymore, because of the whole Ritacco situation," Seaside Heights Board Vice-President Todd Genty said this morning. The five-member school board voted unanimously Monday night to name the popular Parlapanides as "shared superintendent" for the one-school district, he said. "The last year has …

The Toms River Regional School Board will hold a committee meeting of the whole, for its insurance committee to discuss contracts and plan providers. The meeting will begin 6 p.m., at the district's administration headquarters, 1144 Hooper Ave., Conference Room A. There will be a closed session for insurance broker recommendations regarding insurance contracts and plan providers. After that, the meeting will open to the publich, and action may be taken. The meeting has the distinction of being the first meeting of the school board held since the district's former superintendent Michael J. …

Statement as released by Toms River Regional Schools communications office, responding to guilty plea of former Superintendent Michael Jr. Ritacco: Superintendent of Toms River Regional Schools Frank Roselli states, “Please be assured that our primary mission and focus remains the safety and education of our 17000+ students.  Our schools continue to operate as usual, with a focus on education and student centered activities.” Roselli continues, “We have not seen the details of the plea agreement of the former Superintendent at this time, however in October 2010 we provided notice to the …

It should have come sooner. That's Toms River High School South junior Ken Gaughran's take upon hearing that former longtime Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco pleaded guilty to corruption charges today in federal court. "Hopefully some pride and trust will be restored with the Board of Education," said Gaughran, who has followed the Ritacco saga from day one. "I'm actually glad he just pleaded guilty. It was dragging everyone down. He probably should have admitted it in the first place. It probably would have been easier." Ritacco pleaded guilty this morning in …

With former superintendent Michael Ritacco guilty plea to two charges in a $2 million bribery and corruption case, the reaction from the community, school board, Toms River Regional district and other key players is unfolding. Here is a collection of their reactions. U.S. District Attorney Paul Fishman: “Ritacco betrayed the students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers of the Toms River Regional School District by soliciting and receiving more than $1 million in bribes over a long period of time. This conduct strikes at the core of our trust in government and is intolerable, and today’s plea is…

Michael J. Ritacco's guilty plea this morning to mail fraud and conspiracy to impede the IRS is only the latest admission in a years-long probe into corruption and bribery allegations involving the Toms River Schools District. The former district superintendent pleaded guilty to two of 27 charges in a federal indictment only days before jury selection was set to begin in his trial. He faces 11 to 14 years in prison for his role in a scheme that involved bribes, kickbacks, diverted funds and more.  Ritacco's plea also comes only days after Francis Gartland, the district's former insurance …