Bid Rig salesman gets four months Employee sentenced for bribing Neptune official BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer NEWARK - A salesman for International Trucks of Central Jersey was sentenced to four months in prison Oct. 31 for his role in Operation Bid Rig. Robert Feldman, 51, of Brick, admitted in May to handing over $6,500 in bribes to Richard Messer, former general manager of First Vehicle Services of Neptune, the company that purchased vehicles for Neptune Township. Last week, U.S. District Judge William Martini sentenced Feldman to four months in prison, four months of home confinement and a $10,000 fine. He is expected to begin his jail term on Dec. 17. Feldman's bribes, which were concealed within phony landscaping invoices, came in exchange for Messer's help in securing the purchase of eight trucks from International Trucks of Central Jersey, Howell, between August 2001 and April 2004, according to the FBI. As the former manager of First Vehicle Services, Messer worked with Neptune's Department of Public Works (DPW) in obtaining bid specifications for new vehicles. Feldman was originally indicted July 28, 2006, and charged with seven counts of scheming to defraud the local governments of honest services along with three counts of scheming to defraud Neptune Township of money and honest services. Feldman pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on May 23. Messer pleaded guilty Nov. 16, 2006, to one count of defrauding his employer and is currently awaiting sentencing. Feldman, a relatively minor character in the Big Rig saga, worked for Stephen and Matthew Appolonia, brothers and co-owners of International Trucks of Central Jersey. Feldman said he was ordered to pay the bribes by Stephen Appolonia, Colts Neck. Charged with money laundering on March 10, 2005, Stephen Appolonia was later indicted July 28, 2006, on a total of 17 counts including seven counts of offering and giving corrupt payments, seven counts of scheming to defraud local governments of honest services and three counts of scheming to defraud Neptune Township of money, property and services. He pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and to helping launder some $350,000 in cash from undercover cooperating witness, Robert "Duke" Steffer. Brother Matthew Appolonia, Berkeley Heights, was also indicted on the same 17 counts on July 28, 2006. He pleaded guilty in August on two counts of bribery. Both brothers now await sentencing.