Former Nahant and Saugus administrator indicted

SALEM – An Essex County Grand Jury Tuesday indicted former Saugus Town Manager and former Nahant Town Administrator Andrew Bisignani on charges including procurement fraud, destroying public records and misleading investigators.Bisignani denied the charges.The counts involve alleged activity while Bisignani was town manager in Saugus between Jan. 1, 2009 and Feb. 1, 2012 as well as alleged activity while Bisignani was town administrator in Nahant between Feb. 1, 2012 and June 30 of this year, according to a press release from Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.Bisignani is charged with four counts during his tenure in Saugus. These include two counts of procurement fraud, related to town vehicles and public works repairs; one count of knowing violation of laws relating to the incurring of liability and expenditure of public funds; and one count of failure to provide public notice of competitive bids.Bisignani is charged with eight counts during his time at the helm in Nahant. These include two counts of procurement fraud, related to public building repair and public works repairs. Bisignani is also charged with single counts each of knowing violation of laws relating to the incurring of liability and expenditure of public funds; failure to provide notice of competitive bids; altering, defacing, mutilating, destroying public records; unlawfully intercepting oral communications; misleading person(s) in connection with a criminal proceeding, relating to altering documents requested in a grand jury summons; and altering and tampering with records of documents, said official proceeding involving the violation of a criminal statute.”I am innocent of these allegations and absolutely intend to vigorously defend myself,” Bisignani said Tuesday evening. He referred further questions to his attorney Tracy Miner. Miner said Tuesday evening that she had not seen the indictments and could not comment.Bisignani, 68, of Nahant, resigned in 2011 after more than a decade as town manager of Saugus. He shortly thereafter was named town administrator in his home town.A series of audits in Saugus conducted by Powers & Sullivan and completed in July 2012 found $700,000 in “questionable purchases and costs” along with $1.3 million in purchases not in compliance with procurement laws, and $1.4 million in general fund-related payroll and expenses being charged to water and sewer accounts.In July 2013, the Inspector General’s Office requested all documents, communications and personnel files regarding Bisignani and relating to procurement from certain vendors. It also asked that all communication, including email, between Bisignani and all town staff “pertaining to any procurement or use of the vendors identified” and all personnel files for Bisignani including “applications, contracts, direct deposit authorizations, IRS form W2s, etc” be turned over from Saugus as well.Bisignani resigned from Nahant’s top position at a June 12 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, saying the resignation was in response to a letter he received from the board.State Police from the Essex district attorney’s office raided Nahant Town Hall the next day. Selectmen Richard Lombard, Michael Manning and Perry Barrasso each told The Daily Item at the time that they were confident nothing was amiss in Nahant.The selectmen released the letter to Bisignani the following Monday, and the letter stated that Bisignani was to resign per a “mutually agreeable termination” effective July 1 in return for a lump sum severance payment equal to six months salary and benefits.Barrasso and Lombard could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Manning said he could not comment having not seen the indictments.Saugus Town Counsel John Vasapolli, who was appointed temporary town manager when Bisignani resigned from Saugus and who also first raised questions about Bisignani’s financial dealings, could also not be reached for comment.Saugus Board of Selectmen Chair Ellen Faiella said she