TRENTON — A New Jersey state Senate candidate acknowledges spending time in jail for deceptive business practices and says he doesn't think his past is relevant to the race. In 1994, Thomas W. Greto ran for the Pennsylvania House but went missing around the time of the election. He turned up in jail, charged with embezzling about $400,000 from...
A view of the exterior of the Statehouse in Trenton in this 2005 file photo.TRENTON — A New Jersey state Senate candidate acknowledges spending time in jail for deceptive business practices and says he doesn't think his past is relevant to the race.
In 1994, Thomas W. Greto ran for the Pennsylvania House but went missing around the time of the election. He turned up in jail, charged with embezzling about $400,000 from friends and associates in connection with a real estate deal.
He was ultimately convicted of deceitful business practices, a misdemeanor, but was acquitted of more serious charges of theft. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Greto admitted using the money to gamble in Atlantic City.
More recently, Greto filed for bankruptcy in 2008. His latest problems were uncovered by CandidateCheck, a nonpartisan research firm.
Greto is running as a Republican in the 1st Legislative District in the southernmost part of the state.
Previous coverage:
• Hundreds of candidates file petitions to run in primary for N.J. Senate, Assembly