Ocean county mayor arrested for misconduct, theft of municipal funds

Ocean County Mayor Arrested for Misconduct, Theft of Municipal Funds

by
March 18, 2022
···

OCEAN GATE, NJ – Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy, 66, has been arrested and charged by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office after being caught diverting funds through his official capacity as mayor of the small Toms River waterfront community.

Related: Massive State Investigation Continues in Toms River to Uncover Possible Public Corruption Crimes

According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, Kennedy was charged with official misconduct and theft.

The prosecutor’s office on Friday announced Kennedy was being investigated by the agency’s Office of Professional Standards and Corruption Unit.

An investigation into Kennedy revealed he had been diverting public funds from the Borough of Ocean Gate into his own personal accounts. Kennedy is alleged to have stolen money from the borough parking meter funds and spent the money for “his own personal benefit”, the complaint against the mayor read.

Related: Organized Crime Evolved? Public Jobs, Contracts are the New Brown Envelopes of Ocean County’s Organized, Legalized Political “Crime”

Kennedy was also caught taking borough assets including furniture and selling those items on Facebook through his own private Facebook Marketplace account, keeping the proceeds for himself. Additionally, the Economic Crime Squad discovered Mayor Kennedy was skimming money from the borough’s government asset auction website GovDeals.com and depositing funds into his own personal bank accounts.

Kennedy was processed at the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and released on a summons pending a future court date.

Prosecutor Billhimer described the investigation against Kennedy as “extensive”.

Kennedy a member of the Ocean County Republican organization was processed, according to a statement by Bryan Huntenburg, a public information officer for the prosecutor’s office, in the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under Republican Sheriff Michael Mastronardy.

Mayor Kennedy was charged and released pending a future court hearing.

Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards/Corruption Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crimes Squad, Ocean Gate Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.

Kennedy’s arrest is another black eye for the Ocean County Repbulican Organization which is currently engaged in an all-out civil war amongst its members. Kennedy’s term expired this year.

It’s not Kennedy’s first experience with misappropriating municipal funds. In 2014, The New Jersey Local Finance Board fined him for accepting $50,000 worth of public jobs with the borough while serving as mayor in 2014. Kennedy had given himself borough jobs as the borough human resources director, business administrator and insurance administrator.

Public records show Kennedy also earns $47,000 annually from the County of Ocean, according to public records as of December 31, 2021.

According the Ocean County Government website, Kennedy is identified as the Ocean Gate Borough Public Information Officer, Personnel Director and ADA Coordinator.

Phil Stilton
Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

  1. New Jersey Town Where ICE Agent Was Run Down Passes Resolution Urging Repeal of Sanctuary State Policies
  2. New Jersey Dem Lawmakers Move to Expand Assault Rifle Ban As Court Rules Existing Law Unconstitutional
  3. FIFA Is Now Selling World Cup Grass Paid for by New Jersey Taxpayers
  4. Flood Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Risk, and Possible EF2 Tornado Threat Across New Jersey Today