Judge orders O'Grady to begin sentence Jan. 22 Ray O'Grady NEWARK - Former Middletown Committeeman Raymond O'Grady lost his appeal on Friday and is now scheduled to begin his 43-month jail sentence Jan. 22. O'Grady was convicted in June on five corruption-related charges as part of the FBI's Operation Bid Rig investigation. The one-time director of the Monmouth County Central Motor Pool was found guilty of accepting at least $8,000 in cash bribes in exchange for official favors through his position in county government. "The judge set a surrender date because of the Third Circuit Court decision," said Michael Drewniak, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark. O'Grady's attorney, Kevin Roe, promised an appeal after his client's October conviction. Roe argued that O'Grady's trial was unfair because of the suicide attempt of the FBI's star witness after only one day on the stand. Anthony Palughi, a former friend of O'Grady's, wore a wire for the FBI in order to try to avoid jail time of his own, Palughi said during the trial. "Without much being heard, a single judge granted it," Drewniak said on Monday, noting appeals are often heard in this way. "Now the Third Circuit Court has denied his motion pending his appeal." - Karen E. Bowes