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A former Morris County commissioner admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for directing public contracts to a law firm, according to authorities.

During a Nov. 17 appearance before Superior Court Judge Peter Tober in Somerville, John Cesaro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in official and political matters, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said.

While under oath, the 53-year-old Parsippany resident said he took $7,700 between April and May 2018 as consideration for agreeing to use his official elected position with the county to provide public contracts or work to the cooperating witness, the AG’s office said.

When Cesaro returns to court for his scheduled sentencing Jan. 16, 2026, prosecutors will seek a five-year prison term, the state said. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Cesaro must forfeit the $7,700 he received and pay a $23,000 public corruption profiteering penalty.

He is also permanently disqualified from holding any public office or public position in New Jersey. Cesaro, an attorney, will face a five-year debarment from doing business with the state or any of its subdivisions, too, the AG’s office said.

Prior to his initial election to the county board in 2012, Cesaro spent six years on the Parsippany township council. He served three terms as a county commissioner.

Cesaro’s case is part of a larger investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau.

According to the state, the following individuals also took bribes from the same cooperating witness:

• Former Jersey City Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas
• Former State Assemblyman and former Bayonne mayoral candidate Jason O’Donnell
• Former Morris County freeholder candidate Mary Dougherty
• Former Mount Arlington Councilman John Windish

In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, “The public’s faith in government is shaken when elected officials trade favors or preferential treatment for illicit payments. Government service is about serving the public, not about getting unlawful perks.”

OPIA Executive Director Eric Gibson added, “This guilty plea shows that public servants who abuse their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of New Jersey residents will face justice.”

Cesaro’s attorney, Robert Dunn, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.