Middlesex Axes Fire Inspector After He's Charged With Extortion

MIDDLESEX, NJ — The town of Middlesex announced Friday it terminated Billy Donnerstag, 49, who worked as a part-time fire inspector for Middlesex and other surrounding towns.

Donnerstag lives in Hackettstown but is the part-time fire subcode official/fire inspector for the town of Middlesex. As Patch reported, he and another man, Joseph P. Martinelli, 64, of Kenvil, conspired to extort the owner and operator of a real estate development and construction company, federal prosecutors charge. Both men said they had connections to organized crime, prosecutors said.

For his part-time job with the town of Middlesex, Donnerstag worked six hours per week at $40 per hour.

“Misconduct, in any form and at any level, is contrary to our values and our principles here in Middlesex Borough. It simply will not be tolerated. Reports of misconduct will be aggressively investigated and if substantiated, will be vigorously prosecuted," said Middlesex Mayor Ron DiMura.

“I strongly urge anyone that feels they have been the victim of misconduct by Mr. Donnerstag to promptly report it to the Middlesex Borough Police Department or to the FBI," added the mayor.

Middlesex Police Department is in full cooperation and communication with the FBI’s Newark Office during their active investigation and ready to provide any and all assistance requested, the town said.

Both Donnerstag and Martinelli are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.

According to the complaint, from December 2016 through to June 2017, both individuals conspired to extort the owner and operator of a real estate development and construction company. The victim was allegedly threatened with physical harm if the victim did not pay thousands of dollars to Donnerstag and Martinelli, both of whom intimated that they has connections to organized crime. It was also reported that Donnerstag made a series of threatening statements to the victim regarding the consequences of failing to pay.