TRENTON – A new indictment has been filed against former Wildwood Mayor Peter J. Byron, accusing him of official misconduct by seeking a job from a city attorney while failing to pay state taxes on his earnings from that position. The seven-count indictment was filed on Monday against Byron, 68, of Wildwood, New Jersey, who previously resigned from office. The charges include official misconduct, tampering with public records, falsifying or tampering with records, failure to pay tax (two counts), and filing a fraudulent return (two counts).
According to the indictment, Byron, who had previously served as a city commissioner before becoming mayor, allegedly used his position to unlawfully obtain employment from an attorney with City of Wildwood contracts. Allegations state that Byron failed to disclose this income source properly in financial statements and did not pay required state income taxes on earnings in 2017 and 2018. If convicted,
Byron could face significant prison time and fines. The case is being handled by OPIA Deputy Attorneys General Brian Uzdavinis and Niccole Sandora, with OPIA Corruption Bureau Deputy Chiefs Andrew Wellbrock and Jeffrey J. Manis overseeing proceedings. Defense attorney Eric Shenkus will represent Byron in the case.