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Mark W. Holmes Sr, the former Executive Director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority [APHA], has been sentenced to five years for stealing more than $90,000 from the organization between 2008 and 2011, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Friday.

Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor imposed the sentence, which includes paying $35,000 in restitution, forfeiting his government-funded pension, and any future public employment in the state.

Holmes [at right], 56, a Lawrence Township resident and former mayor and councilman of the Mercer County community, served as executive director of the APHA from December 2008 to June 2011. He pleaded guilty to the second degree crime of theft by unlawful taking on Jan 9 before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge John R. Tassini.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office investigation revealed Holmes diverted state grant funds and gave himself a $50,000 raise, officials said.

While serving as deputy director, Holmes applied for and received a $99,897 grant from the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which was intended to provide training in computers and other marketable skills for Asbury Park public housing residents, officials said.

Between November 2008 to August 2009, the APHA received over $75,000 from the State as part of the training grant. Holmes transferred over $58,000 of the funds to the APHA Community Development Corporation [CDC], an organization he created. The funds were not used for training but to fund his $50,000 salary increase, which was done without APHA Board approval.   

The investigation also revealed that Holmes opened up credit cards in the APHA and CDC’s  name, which was used for personal expenses. Officials said he changed the mailing addresses so the bills would go directly to his home. And while he racked up over $30,000 in debt, he did pay most of it off prior to the investigation.

While serving as executive director, Holmes went on more than 30 business trips across the country and was paid over $22,000 per diem payments from the APHA, which were intended to cover meal expenses. But upon his return, Holmes sought and received duplicate reimbursements from the APHA for meals. He also used APHA funds for personal expenditures while on these trips, which included spa treatments, hotel in-room movies, and visits to gentlemen’s clubs.

Officials also said that on at least three occasions, he used APHA funds to pay for stretch limousine service to transport him and his family to and from the airport. Holmes also used over $13,000 of APHA funds for unauthorized meal expenses in the Asbury Park and Lawrenceville areas.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Lawrence Nelsen and Nicole Wallace, and Holmes was represented by Mark G. Davis of Trenton.

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