Priest resolves charge of threatening Florham Park cleric

A Catholic priest who was charged last year with threatening to kill a fellow cleric in Florham Park during a fight over a car was accepted Tuesday into Morris County’s Pre-Trial Intervention program with no admission of guilt.

The Rev. Frank P. Hreno, 51, was charged by Florham Park police on April 18 with threatening to kill the Rev. Emeka Okwuosa, 37. The two clerics allegedly had a physical fight at the borough-based Vocationist Fathers Retreat and Conference Center over who could use a particular vehicle.

Okwuosa had also accused Hreno of stabbing him in the arm with a metal staff adorned with a crucifix -- a wound that required 29 stitches to close -- but Hreno told authorities that Okwuosa hurt his arm by smashing it into a glass door during their dispute. Hreno was never charged with assault.

Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti, sitting in Morristown, admitted Hreno into the county’s PTI program for first-time offenders. He will be supervised on probation for one year and undergo counseling that will be offered by another priest, according to defense lawyer Peter Gilbreth.

Gilbreth said that Hreno left the Vocationist Fathers Retreat after the incident to live with his parents and to avoid any further conflicts but he remains an active priest. Now that the case is resolved, a decision will be made on whether Hreno can return to the facility, where Okwuosa no longer resides.

Defendants who are admitted into PTI make no admissions of guilt and are presumed innocent while they are supervised and fulfill other conditions. If they successfully complete the terms, criminal charges are dismissed and they do not have a record.

According to a criminal complaint, Hreno was charged on April 18, 2014 with threatening to kill Okwuosa that day. Their dispute revolved around the use of a vehicle that Hreno leased but Okwuosa believed was community property. Police were called to the center through a 911 report, and a borough officer signed the complaint against Hreno, who was released on his own recognizance.

The mission of the Vocationist Fathers is to foster religious training and the vocation of priesthood. The 37-acre refuge on Brooklake Road is used for retreats, Christian-based picnics and conferences, and the fostering of spirituality, according to its website.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com