Landscape Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former New Jersey Official

The owner of a landscaping company based in Brick and Brielle, N.J., pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to bribing a former Brick public works director in exchange for a no-bid snow plow contract, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Lance Hadley, 38, of Brick admitted to making two corrupt payments totaling $4,000, the U.S. attorney's office said. The charging document does not name the official who Hadley bribed, referring to the official only as "the Town Employee'' and "the Director of the Brick Township Department of Public Works.''

However, in winter of 2003, when the bribe took place, according to the charging document, the director was John H. Nydam.

Nydam, 55, pleaded guilty last year in New Jersey Superior Court to a range of charges, including stealing township equipment and accepting payment from a contractor to influence his decisions in awarding jobs.

Nydam is still awaiting sentencing.