The mayor of Elmwood Park was charged Monday with interfering in the borough’s 2017 mayoral election, officials said.

Francesco Caramagna, the first Democratic mayor of Elmwood Park in nearly 50 years, was arrested and resigned his post, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Between March 2017 and November 2018, Caramagna “interfered with the secrecy of the election process by completing portions of the application for vote by mail ballot, primary election ballot certifications and general election ballot certifications of registered voters in (Elmwood Park),” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The investigation began in April when investigators received a complaint alleging the 74-year-old mayor interfered in process related to vote by mail ballots for the 2017 race, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Acting Borough Clerk Erin Delaney said Caramagna submitted his resignation letter in an email Monday. In the letter, Caramagna denied the allegations against him and called for re-electing Democratic candidates in the borough’s upcoming race.

“While I maintain my complete innocence and regard these allegations as being politically motivated, I have nonetheless discussed and considered my options with my family and friends, and have sought the advice of legal counsel,” Caramagna said in the letter.

“I want and need to put the interests of others first: the Borough of Elmwood Park and its citizens, my family, and those dear friends and supporters of mine whose votes were cast by absentee ballot. I have therefore decided to tender, with sadness and a heavy heart, my resignation as Mayor of this great Borough of Elmwood Park, effective at 12:00 midnight on this date,” he said in the letter dated Monday.

“I resign as Mayor not because I have in some way betrayed my office, but to minimize any embarrassment to my family, friends and supporters as I defend against whatever accusations might ultimately be made against me,” the letter stated.

Caramagna defeated Robert Colletti by a close margin of 2,348 to 2,030 in the mayoral election, NorthJersey.com reported. Colletti was interim mayor following the death of Richard Mola, who served as mayor for 45 years. Caramagna, a retired teacher, made five previous bids for mayor of the town.

Borough Council President Daniel Golabek was designated acting mayor.

“This news comes as a shock,” Golabek said. “He is entitled to full due process.”

“This resignation will not slow down the council’s work on the important issues we are confronting and working on nor will it affect any municipal services,” Golabek added.

Records show Caramagna was charged with interfering with the secrecy of the election process and released from the Bergen County Jail on Monday. He is scheduled for a court hearing on May 22 in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court.

It was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney. Caramagna could not be immediately reached.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters