Board President Frank Heelan said he Nilesh Dasondi did not disclose his past in a meeting the two had.
Nilesh Dasondi, pictured above, is vying for a spot on the Edison Township School Board. (Submitted photo)EDISON -- The township's school board president regrets signing the petition of a felon who is vying for a seat on the board, according to a published report.
Board President Frank Heelan is one of two members who signed Nilesh Dasondi's petition to get on the ballot, MyCentralJersey.com reported on Sunday.
The other board member who signed Dasondi's petition was Ralph Errico. Errico did not respond to a request for comment from MyCentralJersey.com.
Dasondi served a six-month stint in prison for immigration fraud and money laundering conspiracy. He told NJ Advance Media that he is the "numbers guy" the school board desperately needs.
Dasondi ran Cygate Software, which disbanded after the federal government charged him with money laundering in a more than $850,000 immigration document scheme. Dasondi used the company to obtain fraudulent work visas and green cards for several people who were not his employees.
Heelan told MyCentralJersey.com that Dasondi did not disclose any details of his past when the two had an hour-long meeting. He said he learned of Dasondi's criminal record when he searched his name online after the meeting.
"After finding all this out, I wouldn't support such a person because it's a position of public trust with a great deal of money involved," Heelan told MyCentralJersey.com.
Dasondi is one of five candidates running for school board. Dasondi, a Democrat, has not earned an endorsement from the Edison Democratic Organization.
If Dasondi were to win the election in November, state law prevents convicted first or second-degree felons from serving on a school board.