Platkin Assumes Control of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that he has exercised supersession over the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. He has appointed Anthony Picione to serve as Acting Warren County Prosecutor, replacing James Pfeiffer, who is resigning effective immediately. Since October 2020, Picione has served as the deputy director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) in the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

“Tony Picione is a native son of Warren County and a career prosecutor and public servant who has dedicated his career to the public good and rooting out corruption. His service for nearly a quarter-century is commendable. He has earned the public’s trust and mine, and I am grateful he will be serving as Acting Prosecutor in Warren County,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The 21 County Prosecutors play an integral role in protecting the public safety of New Jerseyans, and the residents of Warren County will be well-served by having Tony Picione in this leadership position.”

“I am honored that Attorney General Platkin has asked me to serve as the Acting Warren County Prosecutor, and I look forward to helping ensure the safety and well-being of the residents of Warren County and its visitors and to seek justice for victims,” said Deputy Director Picione. “Working with my colleagues to fight against corruption over the past twenty-four plus years has been a wonderful experience. I have often said that I have the best job in the world – being paid to try to do justice every day. I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity to continue to serve the people of New Jersey, and the people of Warren County in particular.”

Picione has worked in the Division of Criminal Justice since 1999 and is an Assistant Attorney General. Before becoming deputy director of OPIA in 2020, Picione was the Deputy Chief and then the Chief of the Division of Criminal Justice’s Corruption and Government Fraud Bureau for over a decade.

Picione’s work has concentrated on white-collar crime, particularly offenses involving public officials and public funds. During his career, he has prosecuted numerous high-profile cases involving public corruption and the theft of public funds, including:

·    State v. Thomas Rospos, et al (Birdsall Services Group). The prosecution of a large engineering firm and six high-level executives for public contract fraud, misconduct by corporate officials and money laundering for obtaining millions of dollars in public contracts after making illegal political campaign contributions in excess of $1 million through straw donors who were then reimbursed. This ended with the convictions of all defendants and forfeitures and penalties totaling over $4 million recovered for the State.

·    State v. Neil Cohen. Successful investigation and prosecution of a state assemblyman for accessing and distributing child sexual abuse material from his legislative computer.

·    State v. Lesly Devereaux, et al. Trial conviction of the second-highest official in the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission on charges that she misused public funds and resources to hire family members as Commission consultants and to run her private law practice. Recouped all stolen public funds.

In addition, Picione is an instructor for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, the National Attorneys General Research and Training Institute, and the New Jersey Police Training Commission, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy for Rutgers Law School.

Picione received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1995 and received his B.A. magna cum laude from Drew University in 1992. From 1996 to 1999, he was an associate at Pitney Hardin LLP.

Picione is originally from Warren County. He grew up in Lopatcong Township, and graduated from Phillipsburg High School.