Clark Twp Mayor Used Town Employees to Run His Private Business, Forfeits Office After Guilty Plea

Salvatore Bonaccorso is permanently barred from holding any future public office after using municipal employees for his private business.

Clark Township, NJ – Salvatore Bonaccorso, the longtime mayor of Clark Township, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit official misconduct and forgery, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bonaccorso must immediately leave office, is barred from holding any future public position, and faces a recommended sentence of three years’ probation plus a $15,000 fine.

As part of his agreement with OPIA to plead guilty, Bonaccorso, at the time of his guilty plea, entered a consent order immediately forfeiting his office as mayor of Clark and agreeing to be permanently barred from holding any future public office or employment.

“Today’s guilty plea secured by OPIA ends a long and sad betrayal of the community by someone who had been in a position of power and trust for a long time,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Anyone who betrays the public’s trust by placing their own interests ahead of their duty as a public servant to New Jersey residents will be held accountable. Let me be clear: I will never stop rooting out corruption in New Jersey, no matter how powerful the offenders may be.”

Alleged Misconduct

Bonaccorso, 64, who had served as Clark’s mayor since 2001, was charged in November 2023 following an investigation by the Corruption Bureau. Authorities allege he “operated his oil tank-removal business out of his township office utilizing municipal resources.” Investigators claim Bonaccorso stored business records at his mayoral office, used township equipment for private gain, and directed on-duty municipal employees to perform tasks for his landscaping and underground oil tank removal business, Bonaccorso & Son LLC.

“Bonaccorso used taxpayer-funded workers for personal gain. He abused his power over municipal personnel, finances, and operations, and he submitted false documents to keep the scheme going,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “My office will investigate and prosecute anyone who illegally abuses the public’s trust.”

Forged Documents, Illicit Permits

He also pleaded guilty to forgery in connection with “submission of false and fraudulent permit applications to municipalities, which enabled his landscaping company to improperly and unlawfully obtain permits to remove hundreds of underground tanks.” According to investigators, Bonaccorso and his company:

• Illegally used an engineer’s name, license number, and often forged the engineer’s signature.
• Misrepresented the engineer’s on-site supervision to secure permits.
• Bypassed required certifications and tank-inspection regulations stipulated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

The value of the removal jobs associated with the fraudulent permits submitted by Bonaccorso between 2017 and 2023 amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sentencing Terms and Additional Penalties

Bonaccorso will be formally sentenced under the plea agreement; the State will recommend three years of probation and a $15,000 fine — “the maximum allowable fine for conviction of a third-degree crime.” He and his company must also refrain from bidding for or entering into any public contracts for five years and are barred for three years from conducting storage tank removals for private commercial or residential property owners.

The mayor and his company, Bonaccorso & Son LLC, also agreed to be ineligible for five years to bid for or enter into public contracts or conduct business with the State or its political subdivisions.

Investigation and Prosecution

OPIA Corruption Bureau Co-Director Jeffrey J. Manis and Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Frank L. Valdinoto handled the case under the supervision of OPIA Executive Director Skinner. Attorney General Platkin also thanked the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Taxation, Office of Criminal Investigation, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for their assistance.

With Bonaccorso’s immediate forfeiture of office, Clark Township will move forward without the mayor who served nearly 24 years, marking a significant conclusion to an investigation that revealed extensive abuse of municipal resources and regulatory processes.