Former Wildwood, NJ mayor pleads guilty to fraud, report says

🔴 Former Mayor Pete Byron pleads guilty to fraud

🔴 Plea deal includes prison time

🔴 Two other officials still face charges

WILDWOOD — The former mayor of this Cape May County shore resort town has admitted to illegally taking state health benefits, according to published reports.

Pete Byron, a Democrat, pleaded guilty to theft in superior court on Friday for the scheme, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Byron fraudulently obtained over $600,000 in premiums and claims through the State Health Benefits Program even though he didn't qualify.

His plea agreement includes three years in prison, paying restitution, and a lifetime ban from holding public office.

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Last year, Byron was sentenced to three years probation in federal court for filing false tax returns in 2017 and 2018.

He was also ordered to pay $14,000 in fines and $7,014 in restitution.

Other Wildwood officials facing charges

After 12 years as a city commissioner, the former Wildwood mayor resigned last year just months before his term was set to end.

Two other commissioners are also accused of fraudulently taking state health benefits.

Current Wildwood Mayor Ernest Troiano, Jr. and Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski face the same charges of unlawful taking and records tampering.

According to the OAG, the three local officials passed a resolution in 2011 to designate themselves as full-time employees working for Wildwood so they would be eligible for health benefits.

However, authorities say they never worked the number of hours to qualify as full-time employees and submitted fake time sheets.

The Press of Atlantic City reports that Byron has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors against Troiano and Mikulski.

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