Former Regional PennDOT Executive Charged For Alleged Bribes

A former PennDOT executive for the district that oversees Bucks County has been accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from at least one contractor.

Nicholas Martino, 53, of Norristown, was charged by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office with conflict of interest – restricted activities, a felony, for accepting payments from an unidentified PennDOT contractor.

An investigation into Martino began in 2013 after Attorney General special agents received a tip about corruption in the regional PennDOT area, which covers Bucks County and the Philadelphia area. A tipster, who investigators did not identify, provided evidence against Martino, who oversaw maintenance and roadside management programs as an executive with PennDOT District Six.

The Attorney General’s Office alleges that a contractor that paid off Martino did not perform the work for which they were hired. At that time, Martino looked the other way and even had a Bucks County inspector fired for not approving the work the contractor did not perform.

“This is the definition of public corruption, where the taxpayers get cheated and the public loses confidence in its government,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “This individual accepted bribes and allowed a contractor to not perform their work under the contract. No one is above the law – and we will hold this former state official accountable for his crime.”

Martino worked for PennDOT from 2006 until 2014. He also acted as a spokesperson and often made TV appearances during snowstorms.

In 2014, a Grand Jury led to charges against 10 PennDOT managers and employees who were part of a scheme that overbilled the agency for several millions over a three-year period while receiving kickbacks from contractors. Many of the former state workers who were charged took part in a diversionary program for first-time offenders.

Shapiro said in a statement that several of the previous PennDOT officials cooperated in the Martino investigation.

Martino turned himself over to authorities Monday morning and bail was set at $10,000 unsecured during a preliminary arraignment.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.