Local Firefighter Charged For Forging Training Certificates

WEST LONG BRANCH – A West Long Branch firefighter has been charged with allegedly forging certificates and destroying official records, officials said.

Ronald Guidetti, 61, of Long Branch is charged with third-degree False Uttering, third-degree Forgery, and fourth-degree Falsifying or Tampering with Records.

Concerns were raised over the validity of two specific training certificates for a single firefighter at West Long Branch Fire Company No. 2. Authorities determined that Guidetti created fake certificates in order to effectuate a response to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request filed with the Company. He also removed the certificates from the filing system and destroyed them once the request was fulfilled, officials said.

The charges against Guidetti were served via summons when he turned himself in to authorities; he was released on his own recognizance pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.