BRICK – The former Brick Township recreation director has admitted to keeping funds from private organizations and issuing fake permits, officials said.
Daniel Santaniello, 46, of Brick, pled guilty to Theft relative to his position as Director of Recreation for the Township of Brick.
At the time of his sentencing on January 31, the State will be seeking a term of 180 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of his probation.
Santaniello was required to resign from his position with Brick Township and forfeit any and all future public employment. Additionally, Santaniello has paid full restitution in the amount of about $9,260, according to officials.
As Director of Recreation, Santaniello was responsible for issuing permits to private organizations for using the township’s recreational facilities, including softball fields. Those organizations who wish to use these facilities were charged fees for their usage.
According to authorities, Santaniello required certain organizations to pay him directly in cash, rather than issuing checks to the township. Santaniello would then keep the monies for himself instead of depositing the cash into the township’s account.
He concealed these thefts by giving the private organizations who paid him in cash with fraudulent permits, authorities said.
On July 17, 2024, Santaniello was taken into custody at his home without incident by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and Brick Township Police Department. He was processed and served with the charges via summons pending upcoming appearances in Ocean County Superior Court.
Santaniello began his career in the Brick Recreation Department nearly 30 years ago when he was hired as a seasonal employee as a beach parking lot attendant. In 2014, he took over as director of the township’s Parks and Recreation Division. He was awarded Professional of the Year by the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association for the year 2015. In 2016, the governing body of Brick Township recognized Santaniello by naming March 9, 2016 as “Dan Santaniello day.”
The post Former Brick Recreation Director Admits To Theft appeared first on Jersey Shore Online.