West Long Branch firefighter Ronald Guidetti, 61, has been criminally charged in connection with the falsification and destruction of official records.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced that Guidetti, a resident of Long Branch, faces charges of third-degree False Uttering, third-degree Forgery, and fourth-degree Falsifying or Tampering with Records.
The investigation, led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office earlier this year, was sparked by concerns regarding the authenticity of two training certificates for a firefighter at West Long Branch Fire Company No. 2.
The investigation concluded that Guidetti had created the falsified certificates to respond to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request submitted to the Fire Company. Furthermore, it was determined that Guidetti removed and destroyed these certificates from the filing system after the request was fulfilled.
Guidetti surrendered to authorities and was served with the charges via summons. He has been released on his own recognizance and is awaiting future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Guidetti retired as federal fire chief at Picatinny Arsenal and the Fort Monmouth Fire Department and he currently works as a heavy equipment truck driver for the City of Long Branch, according to his Facebook page.
Assistant Prosecutor Lawrence Nelsen, Director of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes/Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case. Guidetti is represented by attorney Robert A. Honecker, Jr., of Ocean Township.
Despite these charges, it is important to note that every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a trial, during which the defendant is entitled to all the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and state law.