NORTH WILDWOOD — Charges against Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr. for his role in a fight outside an Atlantic City casino nightclub in November were dismissed Thursday.
Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II pleaded guilty to an Atlantic City ordinance against impeding traffic in a public space and will pay a $500 fine.
The pair of elected officials, both Democrats, were charged with simple assault and harassment for their involvement in the fight at Golden Nugget Atlantic City on Nov. 11. Gilliam and Fauntleroy were recorded on security camera footage outside Haven Nightclub at 2:22 a.m. in a skirmish with three employees.
“The justice system basically proved itself to be what we stated from the very beginning,” Gilliam said. “It’s all about basically moving Atlantic City forward.”
Gilliam and Fauntleroy pleaded not guilty in December after the complaints were transferred to Cape May County to avoid a conflict of interest in Atlantic County. All criminal charges against both elected officials were dismissed Thursday, which the complainants agreed to.
People are also reading…
“Today is a great day for me, great day for Atlantic City,” said Fauntleroy. “We get to move forward.”
Two of the Haven nightclub employees who signed complaints against the Atlantic City politicians, Gregory Aulicino and Joseph Camarota, were in court Thursday morning. The third complainant, Julie Rodriguez, did not appear in court but spoke with Municipal Prosecutor Ron Gelzunas by phone in December.
On the video footage, Fauntleroy can be seen grabbing Aulicino from behind and tossing him to the ground during the melee.
“I’m glad to see that someone is taking responsibility for their actions, (but) it’s a shame to see public officials behave so poorly,” Aulicino said. “My job is to promote the great nightlife we have in Atlantic City. My job becomes much more difficult when people like Fauntleroy leave a black eye on my city’s reputation.”
Gilliam and another unidentified individual can be seen on the security footage exchanging punches with Camarota. After the melee, Gilliam drove away in his city-issued Chevrolet SUV.
Camarota declined to comment after the hearing.
Vincent Campo, Gilliam’s attorney, said the “mayor was accosted and protected himself.”
“We’re happy the mayor was exonerated, as we knew he would be, of any illegal or untoward conduct,” said Campo. “The mayor simply wants to get back to serving the people of Atlantic City.”
Two days after the fight, Gilliam arrived at City Hall with a pair of sunglasses concealing a bruised left eye before a meeting with Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and the Atlantic City Executive Council. Oliver is also commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, which has oversight of Atlantic City. In November, the lieutenant governor described Gilliam’s involvement in the fight as “troubling” but said it would not detract from the state’s goals in Atlantic City.
The DCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Gilliam has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing twice since taking office in January 2018. A criminal complaint was filed in March 2018 by members of the Atlantic City Democratic Committee who claimed Gilliam stole a $10,000 check, but a Superior Court judge found no probable cause and dismissed the charges.
On Dec. 3, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation Division executed a search warrant at Gilliam’s home on North Ohio Avenue. After nearly four hours, investigators left the mayor’s house with cardboard boxes and computer equipment. Authorities have not stated why Gilliam’s home was subject to a search, and the mayor has not been charged with any crime stemming from the search.
