Published: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 10:06 PM    

Updated: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 10:06 PM

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/bernards_township_school_const.html

BERNARDS TOWNSHIP — A former Bernards Township school construction manager pleaded guilty to money laundering and theft by deception in connection with the embezzlement of $2.1 million from the district during a 5½ year period ending in 2008.

Robert E. Titus Jr., 54, of Jackson entered guilty pleas to first and third degree money laundering, second degree theft by deception and second degree conspiracy to commit those offenses on Friday, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. As part of a plea agreement, Titus faces 15 years in state prison with a five-year period of parole ineligibility when he is sentenced.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Titus, who was employed by Aramark Corp. but worked in an office at Ridge High School starting in 1999, used some of the money to pay off gambling debts. An audit revealed he overbilled the district from 2003 until 2008, and Aramark reimbursed the district.

Titus was arrested in February 2010 after authorities uncovered the scheme. The release said the investigation revealed that Titus primarily used the same contractor, John Paris of Belford, since 2003 for all construction projects repairs and maintenance.

Prosecutors said Paris, who was also arrested in 2010, would submit invoices that were inflated by Titus and in turn, would deposit the district’s checks and give the extra money to Titus. Paris also wrote checks with the payee line blank that Titus would sent to a third party to pay off his gambling debts.

According to the release, the amounts of the checks were under $10,000, which requires check cashers and banks to file a currency transaction report.

Sentencing for Titus is scheduled for March 9.