Termination Notices Sent to Arrested Sewerage Authority Employees

The five local sewerage authority employees arrested on corruption and theft charges Wednesday could lose their jobs soon. 

The authority sent employment-termination notices to the five men–including Superintendent Paul Phillips and Assistant Superintendent William Yannarella—on Wednesday, said Brad Smith, the authority's solicitor. 

The employees have five days from receipt of the letter to request a personnel hearing. 

The employees’ pensions could be affected if they're found guilty in court, but Smith said that decision ultimately rests with the state Division of Pensions and Benefits. 

"Whenever the criminal proceedings are concluded, then the pension board takes a look at the case and they weigh the seriousness of the crime and the length of time there was criminal activity against the employees' total service," said Bill Quinn, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.

Quinn said what is called an honorable service hearing would be held.

"[The board will] try to determine if there is some portion of the employees' service that was not affected by criminal conduct, therefore deserving of some portion [of their pensions]," Quinn said. "Or, was the entire thing so tainted by their criminal conduct that they should not receive any pension." 

Phillips, a township resident, is a 29-year veteran of the local sewerage authority. His 2011 salary was $89,904, according to state records.

Yannarella, 53, the assistant superintendent, has worked for the Cinnaminson Sewerage Authority for 20 years. The Delran resident's annual salary in 2011 was $71,660.

The sewerage authority will advertise the vacancies if the men are fired, Smith said, but already, people are applying for the positions.

“I was told that people are actually walking into the office to pick up applications,” Smith said. “There is a lot of demand for jobs. It doesn’t look like we’re going to have difficulty replacing some of these people.”

In addition to Phillips and Yannarella, the employees arrested were Jeffrey Lehman, Carmelo Colon and his brother, Mike Colon.

Joseph B. Lehman, a sewerage authority subcontractor, and Joseph J. Lehman Jr., Joseph B. and Jeffrey's father, were also arrested in a scheme in which more than $100,000 was stolen in public resources.

In the absence of Phillips, who ran day-to-day operations at the facility, Smith said those duties have been taken over by Carl Goodfellow, who has supervised the plant before.

The authority maintains and operates Cinnaminson sewer systems and protects township waterways from pollution.

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