TOMS RIVER – A New Jersey State Probation Officer facing at least 10 years in prison and probation for sexual assault and related charges, received a delay on January 3 during a court proceeding.
Henry C. Cirigano, 48, Wall, is facing charges of witness tampering, up to five years for terroristic threats and up to 18 months for a charge of contempt of court. He was arrested on April 1 and charged with one count of second-degree witness tampering, one count of third-degree terroristic threats, and fourth degree contempt of court by violating a no witness contact provision in a pre-trial release order.
At that time, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said one count involved the coercion of Cirigano’s victim and the other count involved his supervisory capacity over his victim as her probation officer. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office conducted an investigation that revealed the new charges allegedly committed by Cirigano in the time following his release from jail.
Cirigano is facing up to 10 years in New Jersey state prison on each count for the sexual assault charges, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act “which requires him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole.
He also became subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and Parole Supervision for Life requiring a minimum of 15 years of parole supervision following his release from prison.
Cirigano has been held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township.
The brief proceeding on January 3 involved Ocean County Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels, Cirigano’s attorney Mitchel J. Ansell of Ansell, Grimm and Aaron of Ocean Township, Monmouth County and Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fichter.
The matter concerned whether the case would be moved to the Grand Jury. Ansell asked for more time for his client to consider his plea and communicate with his family.
Fichter said the matter was heard before another judge in October “and there were some issues that arose at that time so the matter was adjourned before your honor.” He also noted that a pre-indictment offer had been withdrawn and that the case would now move forward to the grand jury.
“I was in contact with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and I have been assured I can get a Grand Jury date before the end of the month,” Fichter said.
That date will most likely be January 21 or 22 according to Fichter who said, “the state has been ready to go to the Grand Jury for quite some time. I would say we were ready to go by the end of the summer and the only thing that has delayed this is the protracted plea negations.”
Ansell said “we have had good faith negotiations… this is a very complicated case with a lot of issues involved.”
Daniels agreed to the 20 day period of time requested.
