JC Employees Indicted

Jack M. Shaw, a Hudson County political consultant. As described in the Complaint, he took $10,000 from the cooperating witness for himself and proposed that the cooperating witness pay $10,000 in campaign contributions for the re-election campaign of Jersey City Official.

The following week, July 28th, Jack Shaw committed suicide.

Guy Catrillo, a Jersey City planning aide and member of the mayor's "Action Bureau," and an unsuccessful candidate for the city council. Catrillo took $10,000 in campaign cash and another $5,000.

Read the criminal complaint

Maher A. Khalil, 39, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & attempted extortion.

Edward Cheatam, the affirmative action officer for Hudson County, a commissioner with the Jersey City Housing Authority and, until May, vice president of the Jersey City Board of Education. Cheatam took $15,000 in cash bribes. (Khalil had introduced Cheatam to the cooperating witness; Cheatam then introduced Beldini and Shaw to the cooperating witness, all of whom then went on to extend introductions of the cooperating witness to many others.) Read the criminal complaint.

Lori Serrano, an unsuccessful candidate for the Jersey City council and former chair of the Jersey City Housing Authority. Serrano accepted $10,000 in two cash payments of $5,000 each for her political campaign

James P. King, an unsuccessful candidate for Jersey City Council, former head of the Jersey City Parking Authority, former chairman of the Jersey City Incinerator Authority and a former Hudson County undersheriff. He accepted two payments of $5,000 each for his political campaign. Read the criminal complaint

Michael J. Manzo (no relation to the other Manzos), an unsuccessful candidate for Jersey City Council, and a Jersey City arson investigator. He agreed to accept a $5,000 cash payment from the cooperating witness for his campaign. Read the criminal complaint

Joseph Castagna, a health officer with the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services, and a close associate of Michael Manzo. Castagna took the $5,000 payment from the cooperating witness to pass to Michael Manzo. Read the criminal complaint

Dennis Jaslow, an investigator for the Hudson County Board of Elections and formerly a state corrections officer. Jaslow accepted $2,500, but complained that he wanted $5,000. Read the criminal complaint

Joseph Cardwell, a political consultant and a commissioner of the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority. He accepted two payments of $10,000 in cash to assist the cooperating witness with local government officials in Jersey City and other municipalities, and another $10,000, most of which was used for the purchase of fundraising event tickets. Read the criminal complaint. Cardwell is a close ally of Senator Sandra Cunningham......

8/6/2009 : Jersey City utilities supervisor admits to taking bribes....Angela Bellizzi, 53,
A supervisor for the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority pleaded guilty in federal court today to taking bribes from contractors in exchange for falsifying sewer permits. Bellizzi who pleaded guilty to extortion, was released on $75,000 by U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton. The judge scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12. Under the terms of her plea deal, Bellizzi faces up to three years and 10 months in jail, said Jenny Kramer, an assistant U.S. attorney. But judges have wide discretion when imposing sentences.