Russ Zimmer, and Andrew Ford

Asbury Park Press

MIDDLETOWN - A township official charged with hiding more than a half-million dollars of his income from the state has been suspended without pay, according to Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced late Wednesday that Todd W. Costello, 45, of Jackson was being charged with 14 felonies for failing to:

Report more than $535,000 in income he received between 2010 through 2014 from his side business.

Declare that income and its source on the annual financial disclosure forms that local government officers are obligated to complete by the State Ethics Commission.

Costello, who is the director of management information systems for Middletown, owes an additional $22,000 in New Jersey taxes, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The township says his current salary is $109,180.80.

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Each charge of filing a false return, failure to pay taxes and tampering with public records carries a maximum of five years in state prison.

"Upon learning on Tuesday of Mr. Costello's indictment on charges related to his personal finances, the Township immediately suspended him without pay, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings," said Mercantante in a statement to the Asbury Park Press. "It is important to note that none of the charges against Mr. Costello involved in any way his work as a Township employee or Township finances in any way."

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Costello's attorney, Christopher Adams, told the Press on Wednesday night that his client would "be vindicated."

Messages seeking additional information from Costello and Adams were not immediately returned.

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Costello was the sole operator of Coastal Shore Consulting LLC, according to the Prosecutor's Office. It was through that business — and other business referrals — that he earned the allegedly unreported income.

In his 2015 Financial Disclosure Statement, Costello identified "Csc LLC" as an income source of more than $2,000. The address for "Csc" is Costello's home address in Jackson.

Coastal Shore Consulting was incorporated on Dec. 23, 2009, according to state business records.

Neither "Csc LLC" nor "Coastal Shore Consulting LLC," or any other business name, is on the 2013 or 2014 statements. The tampering charges stem from his failure to include the outside income in the mandatory disclosure statements, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

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Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com

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