Pike woman gets probation in misconduct case - Boss to repay Vernon $14,000

VERNON, N.J. — Don Teolis, former Vernon, N.J. Town Manager, was ordered to repay the township $13,796 and he faces a five-year state prison sentence, after pleading guilty on May 28 in N.J. Superior Court to one count of official misconduct. Annette Yankalunas, his former assistant, who had been charged with falsifying records, will not be jailed or fined. She was ordered to perform 60 hours of community service and was placed in a Pre Trial Intervention program, which Greg Mueller, Sussex County Assistant Prosecutor described as “basically a non-jail form of probation.” Yankalunas, a Milford resident, “received a more lenient disposition,” Mueller said, because “she cooperated with our investigation and she provided a sworn statement to us outlining her involvement and also Don Teolis’ involvement; and in light of the fact that her conduct was less significant than Teolis’. “ The prosecutor’s investigation looked into charges that Teolis, while serving as manager, took numerous trips, which he claimed were for ongoing education and business-related seminars. He was reimbursed for his travel and expenses by the township for trips that ultimately were found to have been pleasure trips. The investigation found also, that Yankalunas accompanied him on at least one of these trips — to San Antonio — but they did not find that she personally was reimbursed for her time or expenses. In addition, she used her vacation days for the time out of office, Mueller said in a phone interview after the May 28 hearing.