TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Earlier this year, Toms River Township de-certified the Silver First Aid Squad after it was learned by township officials that the for-profit business was ‘stealing’ gasoline from township fuel pumps for years under the administration for former Mayor Mo Hill.
That action came as the squad received notifications from the township to cease fueling their vehicles with township taxpayer-provided fuel.
The township had first brought the accusations to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. The prosecutor’s office has not officially made any announcements regarding that criminal investigation.
Now, Toms River has filed a lawsuit against the Silverton First Aid Squad and its president, former Councilman Kevin M. Geoghegan. The lawsuit alleges that the squad improperly used 24,000 gallons of township-provided gasoline in violation of a shared services agreement.
The lawsuit, filed in Ocean County Superior Court, accuses Geoghegan of “official misconduct” and seeks reimbursement for the fuel costs.
According to the complaint, Toms River agreed to dispatch the Silverton First Aid Squad for emergency medical calls under the condition that the squad would cover its own fuel and maintenance expenses for its ambulances. The township claims that Silverton First Aid did not uphold its end of the agreement, resulting in the unauthorized use of township fuel.
Geoghegan says he’s being targeted politically, and said he will file a countersuit against the township.
Former Mayor Thomas Kelaher invalidated that agreement after Silverton First Aid became a for-profit entity and broke the terms of the agreement, according to the former, now deceased mayor.
The township’s lawsuit also requests that Silverton First Aid’s tax-exempt status be revoked, in addition to demanding repayment of the funds it claims are owed.
The legal filing notes that Toms River billed insurance providers for “load fees” associated with emergency medical services and ambulance transports. Under the agreement, Silverton First Aid was to receive 80% of these fees from the township’s third-party billing service, while Toms River retained the remaining 20%.
Those fees are used to reimburse the township for fuel and other services provided by the volunteer first aid agencies operating in the township.
The case will proceed in Ocean County Superior Court, where both sides are expected to present their arguments in the coming weeks.
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