NEW BRUNSWICK – Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Daniel Plumacker of the Sayreville Police Department announced today that Thomas V. Pollando, the former Sayreville Borough Democratic Chairman, has been indicted along with his son and daughter-in-law.
Over the course of an investigation spanning weeks in July and August of 2022, Detectives from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office were conducting electronic surveillance of a business in Sayreville. While conducting surveillance, detectives observed Pollando accept several thousands of dollars in cash and heard him claiming that he would attempt to use his political clout to influence an ongoing criminal case. Further investigation into Pollando revealed that he directed another candidate’s campaign funds for Sayreville Borough Council to be used to pay for personal expenditures and he also directed that election records be falsified to cover up that payment.
On March 30, 2023, Following the presentation of evidence by Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley, the Middlesex County Grand Jury returned a fourteen-count indictment charging Thomas V. Pollando, 73, David Pollando, 42 and Lizmarie Pollando, 29, all of Sayreville, with various offenses. Thomas Pollando was charged with three counts of second-degree Bribery, second-degree Acceptance of an Unlawful Benefit by a Public Official, third-degree Hindering His Own Apprehension, fourth-degree Theft by Deception, fourth-degree Falsifying Public Records, second-degree Official Misconduct and second-degree Pattern of Official Misconduct. David Pollando was charged with second-degree Conspiracy, second-degree Witness Tampering, second-degree Retaliation Against a Witness and thirddegree Terroristic Threats. Lizmarie Pollando was charged with seconddegree Conspiracy and third-degree Hindering the Apprehension of Another.
The counts against David and Lizmarie Pollando stem from an encounter in November 2022 that occurred in Old Bridge, wherein it is alleged that David Pollando threatened a witness. The investigation further revealed that Lizmarie Pollando alerted her husband to the witnesses’ location and thereafter lied to police when questioned about the incident.
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Thomas, David, and Lizmarie Pollando are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
