TOMS RIVER, NJ – Paul Kennedy, 66, former Mayor of Ocean Gate, pleaded guilty to a Pattern of Official Misconduct today. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the guilty plea was entered before the Honorable Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C. Sentencing is set for December 8, and the State will be seeking a three-year term in New Jersey State Prison with a two-year parole ineligibility. The plea agreement also disqualifies Kennedy from holding any future public office or employment.
The case stems from an investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards/Corruption Unit and Economic Crime Squad. Kennedy, while serving as Mayor, failed to turn over proceeds from the sale of borough assets on the government auction site GovDeals.com. Instead, he kept the proceeds for personal use. Further investigation revealed that Kennedy also failed to deposit borough parking meter funds and sold borough office furniture via a private Facebook Marketplace account, attempting to keep the proceeds.
Kennedy was initially charged with Official Misconduct and Theft on March 18, 2022, and surrendered himself to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. Additional investigations led to more charges, revealing that Kennedy also kept proceeds from the sale of scrap metal and converted funds donated for his re-election campaign for personal use. He was again charged with additional counts of Official Misconduct and surrendered himself to authorities on May 4, 2022.