BRICK – A Brick official was sentenced to probation for stealing fees from the town.
Daniel Santaniello, 46, of Brick, was sentenced to three years probation for the theft of approximately $9,260. He worked as the town’s Director of Recreation. He was required to resign from that job and he will not be allowed to take any future public employment. He paid the money back as part of his sentencing.
In his capacity as recreation director, Santaniello would issue permits to groups who wanted to use facilities such as softball fields. Private organizations are always charged a fee to the town in order to do this. However, he asked some groups to pay him directly in cash instead of writing checks to the township. He pocketed the money and provided fraudulent permits to cover up his thefts.
Santaniello began his career in the Brick Recreation Department nearly 30 years ago when he was hired as a seasonal employee as a beach parking lot attendant. In 2014, he took over as director of the township’s Parks and Recreation Division. He was awarded Professional of the Year by the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association for the year 2015. In 2016, the governing body of Brick Township recognized Santaniello by naming March 9, 2016 as “Dan Santaniello day.”
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Heisler who handled the case on behalf of the State, and commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad, as well as the Brick Township Police Department, Brick Police Internal Affairs Unit, and Brick Detective Bureau, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
