Middletown’s Technology Services department found evidence that invoices for a city Public Works contractor had been digitally altered by city financial analyst Rohan Manning, and the alteration of financial documents amounted to “financial fraud,” and “criminal activity,” according to emails received and reviewed by Inside Investigator.
“Technology reviewed the history of usage of the application the City uses to edit PDFs,” an August 8, 2025, read an email from the Technology Services Director, Brianna Skowera, to Middletown Director of Public Works Bobbye Knoll Peterson and Mayor Gene Nocera. “It is confirmed that Rohan opened this file on City provided editing software and made changes.”
“From my position as the Director of Technology Services and a former university IT Executive and former IT Executive for multiple corporations:
- This is evidence of financial fraud
- This is evidence of a criminal act.
- Since we possess evidence that Rohan modified the file, we must assume he is willing to modify, delete or invent financial documents.
- If we assume he is willing to modify, delete or invent financial documents, he must not be allowed to access any physical or digital assets of the City.”
Although Nocera and Peterson were made aware of these findings as early as August 8, they have kept Manning, a close friend of Middletown Deputy Counsel Kori Wisneswki, in his current role.
According to an August 11, 2025, email from Peterson to the Public Works department, Peterson appears to have tried to keep the revelations quiet, saying they were trying to address an “error,” and that any requests for information regarding “invoices, payment, or other documentation,” should go through her: “If anyone asks for information please do not provide and send to me.”
“There was a discrepancy noted in our invoicing and we are working internally to identify where the error occurred,” Peterson wrote. “We do not currently have all the information needed to chart a course forward, but we are taking the necessary precautions to protect data and look into these issues. I want to be clear – this is the City performing due diligence and not an implication of wrong-doing against any PW staff.”
“We will be working with Finance staff to understand the scope of what type of investigation we will need to perform,” Peterson continued. “We ask that you keep this internal to PW staff and do not discuss the matter with anyone. This will help us navigate this efficiently and hopefully return to business as usual as soon as possible.”
In an emailed statement, Mayor Nocera said it is “untrue that any City of Middletown employee engaged in any criminal or fraudulent conduct.”
“An investigation and audit were conducted regarding the invoices and contractor you referenced. The review determined that no further action was necessary and that no disciplinary measures were warranted,” Nocera wrote in an email.
Nocera did not provide the investigation or audit, and did not indicate who conducted the investigation, nor whether there was any police involvement. Nocera indicated that since this is a personnel matter, he could not comment further.
The August 8 email shows an attachment of C&C Concrete and Curb “invoice timeline and attachments.”
Reached for comment, Kimberly Crumb, who handles invoices for C&C, says the city hasn’t paid invoices from several years ago and currently owes C&C “well over $100,000.” She says no one informed her of any discrepancies in the invoices, and she was shocked to hear of the allegations.
“All I know is I have invoices that haven’t been paid. Whatever happened in Middletown, I don’t know anything about,” Crumb said. “When we do work with municipalities, we don’t usually anticipate challenges or issues. It is a substantial amount of money.”
Crumb says she was dealing with Manning over email, trying to get her invoices paid up until May of 2025, when he suddenly “ghosted” her, and she had to start reaching out to other people in the department.
The Republican Minority Caucus on the City Council released a statement calling the report “extremely troubling,” and “unacceptable,” and calling for an independent forensic audit of the financial records, a review of the communication timeline and decision-making process, and immediate steps to ensure all council members receive full disclosure moving forward.”
“The emails indicate that, despite clear evidence of document alteration, city leadership allowed the employee in question to remain in a role with access to financial records. Efforts to manage the matter internally, framing it as an ‘error’ and restricting information flow, raise serious questions about accountability and the protection of public funds,” Middletown Council Minority Leader Anthony Gennaro said. “We implore our colleagues – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike – to join us in investigating this matter thoroughly.”
Peterson has taken over as head of Public Works as the city department has struggled to keep anyone in the position, and Nocera stepped in as Mayor in June following the resignation of Benjamin Florsheim. Nocera is a candidate for mayor in the upcoming municipal election.
The Public Works Department is already in disarray after it was revealed that the city had provided false numbers regarding its Save As You Throw trash program for the city’s sanitation district, inflating the amount of trash the program reduced, the amount of savings for the city, and the number of people participating in the program.
While the scheduled October 8 meeting of the Public Works and Facilities Commission was cancelled, the prior month’s meeting indicated the department was having difficulty hiring staff, with Peterson saying they still had a “significant amount of openings” and were backfilling staff with temporary employees.
“Adding to this concern, vendors – including a city contractor owed well over $100,000 – are not being paid,” Gennaro said, who sits on the Public Works and Facilities Board. “This is extremely troubling, particularly when the Common Council approves these funds on the legislative side with the expectation that city departments will follow through responsibly.”
“As far as what’s happening when I’m sending in my invoices, I really don’t know,” Crumb said. “I just know that every time I think I’m getting somewhere with Middletown, I end up back at square one.”
**This article was updated with comment from the City Council Minority Caucus**
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We have a corrupt department coverup now, and a pension plan being scammed out of $500k so far and counting for one individual. I think it’s time to bring in a forensic auditor to investigate where taxpayer money is going and why?