Bencivengo faces up to 20 years when he sentenced for bribery and extortion Watch video
HAMILTON — Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo will resign from his $108,000-a-year job tomorrow, 24 hours after he was convicted of taking bribes from a health insurance broker to help influence a school board contract.
Bencivengo's resignation, which is effective tomorrow, was announced during a township council meeting this evening. Bencivengo did not attend the meeting and remains free pending his sentencing scheduled for Feb. 27.
"There's been a lot of speculation about what the mayor is going to do and he decided that the best thing to do for Hamilton and all of our taxpayers is to move on," said John Ricci, township business administrator. "Tomorrow afternoon, he will be submitting his resignation."
He faces up to 20 years in prison on five counts including bribery and extortion. After four and a half hours of deliberations at federal court in Trenton, a jury found Bencivengo guilty on all charges today.
Bencivengo was arrested in April and charged with taking $12,400 in bribes from health insurance broker Marliese Ljuba. Bencivengo agreed to help Ljuba retain a school district contract that brought $3.9 million commissions to her Vineland-based firm over three years.
Ljuba became a cooperating witness and recorded her conversation with Bencivengo for the FBI. Another Hamilton Township employee, Rob Warney, admitted he served as the conduit for $5,000 Ljuba paid to Bencivengo and pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Warney, who resigned before the guilty plea, testified against Bencivengo during the brief trial that began last week. Warney is also awaiting sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 7.
Bencivengo was elected as mayor in November 2007, ousting incumbent mayor Glen Gilmore. He was inaugurated in January 2008 and restructured different departments and bringing in a new set of department directors.
Two of those directors were involved in the corruption scandal and have since left their position.
Warney stepped down from his post as the head of community planning in June, just a few days before pleading guilty to money laundering for his role in the extortion scheme.
Cathy Tramontana was fired from her position as recreation director on Nov. 19 after Ljuba testified she had paid for trips and gifts for Tramontana and her husband, Joseph, the school district business administrator who was placed on paid administrative leave last week.
Bencivengo won re-election in Nov. 2011 to a term that expires on Dec. 31, 2015. The township Republican committee has 15 days to submit three names to the council for consider as a replacement.
The new mayor will serve until a general election on Nov. 6, 2013, decides who will serve out the remaining two years of Bencivengo's unexpired term.
Complete coverage of the Bencivengo corruption case:
• Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo is guilty of taking $12,400 in bribes from insurance broker
• Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo corruption trial: attorneys deliver closing arguments
• Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo corruption trial: Prosecutor alleges 'government by bribe'
• Amick: 'Shocking' revelations of Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo trial show need for reform
• Hamilton school board business administrator is placed on administrative leave
• Editorial: Hamilton school board should dig deeper on contracts after bribery admission
• Former Hamilton official pleads guilty to money laundering in Mayor John Bencivengo extortion case
• Senator wants state constitution changed so indicted office-holders are suspended
• Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo pleads not guilty to extortion, money laundering charges
• Editorial: Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo must heed calls to resign over corruption indictment