Jury selection is scheduled to start Wednesday in the corruption trial of former Middlesex County Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo, who is accused of running a jobs-for-cash bribery scheme out of his office.
The 66-year-old Helmetta resident and two co-defendants — former sheriff's investigator Darrin DiBiasi of Monmouth Junction and former sheriff's officer Paul Lucarelli of South River — have pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges.
The case was moved to Monmouth County to avoid any potential conflicts that might arise by having the case heard in the same county where Spicuzzo served from 1980 to 2010, when he retired. He also ran Middlesex County's Democratic Party for 16 years.
State prosecutors say Spicuzzo accepted bribes of as much as $25,000 in exchange for jobs and promotions with his office.
