Bristol Township schools maintenance director charged with fraud

A 59-year-old former Bristol Township School District maintenance director and two cohorts were charged in federal court in Philadelphia on Tuesday with defrauding the district of more than $300,000 over a five-year period, authorities said.

The former director, James N. Anders Jr., of Willow Grove, as well as accomplices Patrick Squires, 58, of Voorhees, New Jersey, and Ernest Neff, 58, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, were charged with defrauding the district of $373,453.43 between September 2006 and September 2011, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

As maintenance director, Anders' duties included obtaining bids for work outsourced by the school district. On more than a dozen occasions, the release said, Anders would guarantee offers made by a Squires-created company, which was run by Neff, would be selected.

Anders would also contract work through his personal companies, the release said, and disguised the bids using a Squires-controlled company, among other offenses.

The three were charged with conspiracy and fraud and each face up to 105 years in prison if convicted on all counts.