Law Enforcement Surrounds Home of Former School District Engineer

The Toms River home of former engineer of Toms River Regional Schools, Pravin Patel, was surrounded by law enforcement today, an eyewitness said.

The reason behind the activity, however, was not detailed by law enforcement agencies.

“We were in the Toms River area conducting official business,” said Robert Glantz, public information officer for the IRS criminal investigation unit. He declined to comment further when asked if it was at the Patel’s home at 484 Eagle Point Drive off of Columbia Drive or what the scope of the investigation was.

FBI Special Agent Bryan L. Travers said he was unaware of any FBI activity in Toms River this morning and declined further comment as well.

However, an eyewitness said that approximately 9 a.m. this morning, three unmarked law enforcement vehicles with black windows allegedly arrived at the Patel home around 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

Bob Thompson, employee of Jay's Lawn Service, said he was landscaping two houses to the right of Patel's. Thompson said that around 9 a.m. three unmarked vehicles arrived and held up traffic along the street, which is a dead-end circle. There were a total of five officers who approached the house with what looked to be shotguns, Thompson said. 

The Patel home was empty around 3 p.m. today. Patel’s lawyer, Dennis McAlvey, was not available for comment.

Patel is founder and president of Pravin H. Patel Associates, the firm that served as the Toms River Regional School’s engineer, architect and planner. District officials said the firm was in place from 1993 through the last day of the fiscal year, June 30, when a pool of seven engineers became the current contracted engineering firms.

Patel came under criticism recently after an Asbury Park Press investigation revealed he was paid more than $9 million over the years, as well as did private work for former Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco, awaiting trial for a 27-count federal indictment on bribery and fraud charges.

Patel was not reappointed as the Toms River Regional architect for the coming school year, and at a previous board of education meeting, Superintendent Frank Roselli confirmed the offices Patel maintained at the 1144 Hooper Ave. administrative offices for Toms River Regional were going to be vacated.

District spokesperson Tammi Millar said today that Patel moved out of the building approximately two weeks ago.

Patel’s district contracts previously included the plans for schools such as Intermediate South.

Township Administrator Paul Shives said recently that the township also does not have any current contracts with Patel.

Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said Toms River police were not involved in any activity at his residence.