NEWARK – A Superseding Indictment was returned yesterday against the former business manager of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, his father, and a contractor, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

The Superseding Indictment adds the new allegations in Counts One through Fifteen. As to Counts One through Thirteen, the Superseding Indictment alleges that Kenneth P. Campbell, the former Business Manager of Local 825, used a union credit card to purchase thousands of dollars worth of items, such as high-end consumer electronics, that he converted to his use and the use of others.

The defendants are scheduled to appear for arraignment on the Superseding Indictment on July 1 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler, to whom the case has been assigned.

Those purchases by Campbell, 56, of Basking Ridge, included two 50-inch Samsung televisions, a 43-inch Samsung television, a Sharp Aquos 26-inch television, a home theater system, multiple DVD players, including two Blu-ray DVD players, multiple camcorders, an MP3 player, a computer, three bottles of wine costing the union $502 per bottle, and a cell phone service that included the “Naked News.” The Superseding Indictment alleges that Local 825 paid for these purchases, and Campbell signed the Local 825 checks to pay for them.

Count Fourteen alleges that Kenneth Campbell and his father, Patrick Campbell, 80, of Somerset, embezzled and stole money and property belonging to Local 825 by causing the union to purchase a 2004 Lincoln Town Car in February 2005 for his father. According to the Superseding Indictment, the union paid approximately $37,478 for the car, which included the cost of a Lo Jack anti-theft system. According to the Superseding Indictment, Patrick Campbell retired from the union in or around 1998 as the union’s business manager.

Count Fifteen alleges that Kenneth Campbell caused a Local 825 gas card to be issued to a Local 825 staff employee with whom Campbell had a personal relationship. According the Superseding Indictment, Kenneth Campbell caused the union to issue the staff employee a gas card to buy fuel for her personal vehicles. The union paid approximately $1,636 for gas purchased by the staff employee on the union gas card.

Counts Sixteen through Eighteen were contained in the original Indictment; however, Anthony Ambrosio was named as a defendant in the Superseding Indictment. The Superseding Indictment alleges that Ambrosio, 50, of Holmdel, paid approximately $20,000 in cash and checks to Anthony Mann, a Local 825 lead engineer, and Craig Wask, a business agent, for steering two contracts to plow snow at two construction projects in Jersey City, including at the construction project at 30 Hudson Street. The Superseding Indictment further alleges that a portion of this cash was given to Kenneth Campbell.

Despite Indictment, the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

For news releases on the original Indictment charging Kenneth P. Campbell and guilty pleas from Peter O. Strannemar, Arthur Heimall, Craig Wask and Anthony Mann, follow he appropriate links at:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/index.html

Each charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. All defendants will have to appear in federal court for arraignment on the Indictment on a date to be set. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Gordon S. Heddell; and Special Agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William P. Offord, and investigators from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Jonathan Kay, with the investigation leading to today’s Superseding Indictment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Moscato of the U.S. Attorney Office’s Strike Force unit, in Newark.

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