Forgery, theft allegations cause shakeup at Gloucester harbormaster's office

A scandal has rocked the Gloucester Harbormaster’s Office with allegations of theft and forgery, and they all center around three employees.

The city mayor Greg Verga alerted the City Council on Monday that the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries discovered two forged grant applications totaling $24,000.

The false signatures allegedly originated from the city’s Harbormaster’s Office.

As of Monday, TJ Ciarametaro is out of his harbormaster job, while his then-deputy Chad Johnson was placed on leave.

Former Gloucester Shellfish Warden Peter Seminara says he's the one who reported the forgery to authorities.

“I regret not having spoken up sooner for anything that I'm aware of that's going on there,” he said.

Seminara, who worked under Ciarametaro, claims he witnessed the documents being forged in January.

“I have an indescribable respect for the Division of Marine Fisheries and protested that my supervisor would falsify signatures of people that have assisted me throughout my career,” said Seminara.

Meanwhile Seminara was terminated by the city last month. He said he’s being accused of stealing $71 from the Harbormaster’s Office, which he denies.

He said he did not report the forgery to the DMF immediately, but rather after he was placed on leave because of fear of retaliation.

“When you're in an environment like that you kind of go with the flow and rule-bending becomes the norm. It's until it affects you, you kind of just look the other way,” he said.

The city says it can’t comment on personnel matters, while the police department is investigating the alleged larceny by Seminara.

The former harbormaster said his attorneys are meeting with the city to try to get him reinstated.

Meanwhile, the mayor has appointed a former Gloucester Police Chief to take over in the interim.

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