CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — A longtime former Cape May County hazardous-materials official is accused of using a private company to bill fire departments and businesses for HAZMAT training that prosecutors say was already being supported by government grant funding.
Anthony Robinson, 67, of Lower Township, was arrested Thursday following what the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office described as a lengthy investigation by its Major Crimes Unit.
Robinson previously served as director of Cape May County's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive, or CBRNE, Task Force.
Investigators allege Robinson created and used a limited liability company to conduct HAZMAT-related training for fire departments and companies throughout Cape May County.
The central allegation is that organizations were billed through Robinson's company for training conducted on dates when the same training was also being funded through the federal Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant program.
Robinson is charged with third-degree theft and two counts of fourth-degree forgery.
He was processed and released on a summons pending further court proceedings.
Authorities also executed a court-authorized search warrant at Robinson's home in the Briarwood Drive section of Lower Township as part of the investigation. Prosecutors have not publicly disclosed what, if anything, was seized.
Robinson Had Longtime Role in County HAZMAT Operations
A review by South Jersey NewsBeat found Robinson's leadership role in Cape May County hazardous-materials operations stretched back more than a decade.
An official Cape May County page for a February 2020 Fire Service Leadership Symposium identified Robinson as director of the county's CBRNE operation and scheduled him to give an hourlong presentation to fire-service leaders.
Robinson was also identified as director in 2012 when Cape May County participated in a large hazardous-materials response exercise at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May.
That exercise brought together local, county, state and federal responders to confront simulated chemical and radiological hazards and conduct a confined-space rescue. Robinson said at the time that exercises of that type helped agencies prepare to work together during actual emergencies.
County records currently identify Thomas Connelly as director of the CBRNE Task Force.
South Jersey NewsBeat reviewed county records and found Robinson's leadership role in Cape May County hazardous-materials operations stretched back more than a decade. County records identified him as CBRNE Task Force director as recently as 2020, while a 2012 multiagency hazardous-materials exercise also identified him as the task force's director. Prosecutors have not disclosed when the alleged double billing occurred, whether Robinson was still employed by the county at the time, the name of the LLC he allegedly used or how much money is involved.
Those unanswered questions could become significant as the criminal case proceeds.
County Has Received HAZMAT Training Grants
The grant program at the center of the allegations is the federal Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness program, commonly known as HMEP.
The program provides federal funding for hazardous-materials emergency planning and training.
Cape May County records reviewed by South Jersey NewsBeat show the county has received HMEP training funding over multiple years.
In June 2025, county commissioners authorized an application for $35,000 in HMEP training funds covering the period from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
County records describe the proposed use of that money as funding hazardous-materials awareness and operations and confined-space awareness and operations training for first responders.
In March, county commissioners formally accepted a $35,000 award from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety for the FY2025 HMEP Planning and Training program.
Earlier county financial records show Cape May County receiving HMEP training grants in previous years as well.
There is no indication from the information released by prosecutors that the $35,000 grant is the amount allegedly involved in Robinson's case. Prosecutors have not publicly identified which grant years or awards are part of their investigation.
How Much Money Is Allegedly Involved?
That remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.
Authorities have not publicly identified the LLC Robinson allegedly used, the individual fire departments or companies allegedly billed, how many training sessions are involved or the total amount of money Robinson is accused of improperly receiving.
The precise time period covered by the allegations also has not been disclosed.
South Jersey NewsBeat also has not located publicly available county payment records establishing that Cape May County itself made payments to Robinson's company.
The Prosecutor's Office's description of the case says the LLC billed fire departments and companies, meaning additional financial records may be held by those organizations rather than appearing as direct county payments.
Whether the alleged billing involved a handful of training sessions or a more extensive operation remains unclear.
Investigation Continuing
Cape May County Chief of Detectives Daniel Holt said the investigation reflects the Prosecutor's Office's commitment to protecting public funds and ensuring accountability involving grant-funded programs.
Authorities are asking anyone with information concerning the investigation to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135 or provide information through the office's anonymous tip system.
A third-degree crime in New Jersey generally carries a potential prison term of three to five years, while a fourth-degree crime can carry up to 18 months.
The charges against Robinson are accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
