List of indicted and convicted Hudson County Politicians 
beginning in 2002

    Ralph J. Marra, Jr., acting U.S. Attorney answers questions at a press
    conference in Newark addressing the federal investigation of public
    corruption in which 44 individuals were charged July 23, 2009.

   New Jersey mayors arrested in the federal corruption probe include from left, Ridgefield 
   Mayor Anthony Suarez, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Hoboken Mayor Peter
   Cammarano on July 23, 2009.

In all, 44 people were charged, 29 of them from New Jersey.

By the end of the day, Joe Doria Jr., the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, abruptly resigned from his cabinet post after his Trenton office and his home in Bayonne were searched by the FBI

Peter Cammarano III, 32, previously a Hoboken councilman and now mayor, and a lawyer specializing in election law. While a candidate for mayor, then-councilman Cammarano and his close associate, Michael Schaffer, a commissioner on the North Hudson Utilities Authority, took three payments of $5,000 each with the promise that, in return, Cammarano would sponsor zoning changes and push through building plans for high-rise development in Hoboken by the cooperating witness. After the conclusion of their first meeting at a Hoboken diner, the cooperating witness stated, "Make sure you get my stuff expedited." To which Cammarano replied: "I promise you ... you're gonna be treated like a friend." Moments later, in the parking lot, Schaffer took the first $5,000 in cash. On July 16, Cammarano and Schaffer met the cooperating witness again at a Hoboken diner and accepted another $10,000, which Cammarano said was needed to pay campaign debts, bringing the total in bribes accepted by Cammarano and Schaffer to $25,000. Read the criminal complaint

Dennis Elwell, 64, mayor of Secaucus, and Ronald Manzo (Manzo is charged in this Complaint in addition to the one with his brother Louis). Elwell received a $10,000 cash bribe - through Manzo as the middleman - to assist the cooperating witness with plans to build a hotel in Secaucus. Manzo took $5,000 from the cooperating witness as a reward for bringing Elwell to him. Read the criminal complaint

    Leona Beldini, 74, deputy mayor of Jersey City and a realtor. Beldini planned to become broker for his
    purported 750-unit condominium project on Garfield Avenue, where units would sell for $500,000 each. Beldini, who
    was treasurer of a Jersey City official's reelection campaign (that official is identified only as Jersey City Official 4 in
    the Complaints-  mayor Jerramiah Healy), also accepted $20,000 in campaign donations, which she said would be
    divided between "donors" who would return the money to the campaign in increments of $2,600, the maximum
    individual donation allowed under law.

   Mariano Vega, Jr., 60, the Jersey City council president. He met several times with the
   cooperating witness and ultimately accepted three $10,000 payments, two of which Vega instructed
   an intermediary to have broken down and converted into individual contributions for his re-election campaign
   and the third which he received after his election victory. Read the criminal complaint

   Louis Manzo, 54, a defeated candidate for Jersey City mayor, and his brother and political
   advisor, Ronald. Together, they accepted $27,500 in three cash payments intended for Louis Manzo's
   campaign. The cooperating witness was told that giving money to Louis Manzo was "insurance" to secure
   his influence for the cooperating witness in the event the incumbent for mayor lost. Read the criminal complaint

   L. Harvey Smith, 60, state Assemblyman, a Jersey City mayoral candidate and former
   three-term councilman in Jersey City and a Hudson County undersheriff. Smith took two
   cash payments, one for $5,000, the other for $10,000, in exchange for approaching high-level contacts
   with the state Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection to clear the
   way for approvals of the cooperating witness's project on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City and another
   project off Route 440 in Bayonne. Smith's aide, Richard Greene, is charged in the same criminal
   Complaint, and is accused of taking the $5,000 payment from the cooperating witness and passing
   it to Smith. Read the criminal complaint

******************************

ADDITIONAL INDICTMENTS:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Christie said his office has either charged or convicted over 100 public 
   officials.   "There's an epidemic in New Jersey of public corruption,
   people selling their offices for envelopes of cash."   ( 2/22/2005 -
      PoliticsNJ.com )

    The convictions below were under the term of former US Attorney
  Christopher Christie!

Thank you, thank you, and thank you US Attorney Christopher Christie and your
   team for their FINE work !!!!  The taxpayers and citizens of Hudson County thank you!!!
   but....  you've just scratched the surface....  as we will see in the summer of 2009!

List of indicted and convicted Hudson County Politicians 
from 2002 to 2008

Robert Janiszweski, "Bobby J” - former HC County Executive who pleaded guilty to extortion and tax evasion in October 2002.  He resigned as the 4 term HC County Exec in September 2001.  In November 2000, the FBI agents caught him accepting a bribe from Union City psychiatrist and county vendor Dr Oscar Sandoval.  He has been cooperating with the feds ever since.  
MARCH 25th 2005....... Prisoner No-  25038-050.  Corrupt pol slammed with the max -  41 months
 + $40,000 in fines......     April 29, 2005....  Bobby J begins his 41 month sentence.  PRISONER NO.  25038-050.  His appeal for a term reduction was denied...  Begins his term the day after Paul Byrne dies..

Nidia Davila-Colon - former 4 term HC Freeholder convicted for carrying bribes from Dr Oscar Sandoval to former County Exec Robert Janiszweski  - Now serving a 37 month sentence in Danbury Federal Corrections Institute in CT- Prisoner No.  25094-050   February 2005 --- Nidia's sentence was reduced by 7 months due to changes in federal sentencing guidelinesDr Oscar Sandoval - recipient of tens of millions in County contracts....   for psychiatric contracts to the County prison, Meadowview Hospital & County Youth House  - wired by the Feds and keeps on talking

Freeholder Bill Braker, in June 2004 pleaded guilty to one count of extortion.  He accepted $ 3,880 in cash bribes and Viagra from Dr Oscar Sandoval in exchange for his vote and influence on contracts with both the county and the Jersey City Police Department.  - Trial was to begin in May 2004.  
On December 22, 2004 , Braker was sentenced to 41 months in prison, the longest sentence to date.  Due to his attempt in October to withdraw his guilty plea, his sentence was extended...
 ( Jersey Journal, A1- 12/23/2004 )    PRISONER NO.  25199-050

Hoboken developer Joseph Barry, Applied Companies, pleaded guilty in July 2004 for making $140,000 in bribes between 2000 and 2001 to Bobby J for securing $ 8.8 MILLION in state grants & loans.  He was sentenced October 22, 2004 to 25 months in prison,  $1 Million in restitution and a $20,000 fine.....   " As the crowd  swarmed around Barry, his 83-year old father smiled.  Asked for a reaction, Walter Barry said, 'He got a break, didn't he?'"   ( Jersey Journal, A8- 10/22/2004 ) He began serving his term in November 2004.   PRISONER NO.  25865-050

Paul J Byrne - Political Consultant to Bobby J and his "bagman" pleaded guilty in July 2004 for 
accepting bribes for "professional contracts".  He is also charged with tax evasion for failing to report 
some $900,000 in income between 1999 and 2001, some of it from bribes.  He changed his strategy 
once Joseph Barry pleaded guilty the week before.  The "Bagman" faces sentencing on Oct 25th.  
He is likely to serve 30 to 37 months in prison.  Dec 13th, 2004----   Paul's sentencing has been postponed as his  attorney was granted additional time to gather Paul's health records for the judge.  Paul is diabetic and now legally blind.    Sentencing scheduled for April 6th, 2005...
April 28th....  Paul Byrne suffered a fatal stroke and congestive heart failure....

Former Hoboken Mayor ( 1993 to 2001 ) and Councilman Anthony Russo indicted for extortion and taking bribes.  He pleaded guilty in September 2004 to 3 counts of mail fraud and admitted to taking cash payments from Gerard Lisa, of Lisa and Associates, a Hoboken accounting firm that did work for the city.  He faces a sentencing range of 24 to 30 months in prison.   May 2005...  Russo is smacked with 30 months in jail and ordered to pay $362G in fines.... PRISONER  25827-050, 7/18/2005
      Russo's pension benefits slashed & health insurance killed  4/20/2006

January 2005-  Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto of Secaucus is sentenced to five years probation, fined $10,000 and ordered to repay $50,000 stemming from charges that he misspent thousands of dollars of campaign funds on  personal expenses such as income taxes, a daughter's wedding and expensive sports memorabilia.     Impreveduto was a member and past chairman of the legislature's Joint Committee on Ethical Standards.  He was forced to resign his Assembly seat in 2004 and forfeit two other public jobs!     
April 2005-  "Impreveduto's pension is slashed by the Teachers Pension & Annuity Fund cut from $55,524  to $40,350 per year......  In 3 years, Impreveduto will become eligible for a second pension of $25,000, for his legislative service.  He could face a challenge on that pension", and he should!  Good work guys!  ( Jersey Journal, 4/8/2005 )    Anthony Impreveduto died of cancer in August 2009 at the age of 61.

 
2004 -   Gerard Lisa, Hoboken Auditors for the City pleaded guilty to making bribes to Robert Janiszweski, "Bobby J” - former HC County Executive between 1997 to 2001 in order to secure renewal of his firm's auditing contract with the County.

March 2005 - Charles D Fallon, CPA pleaded guilty to paying Bobby J $8,000 in bribes for the auditing contracts for the Hudson County Improvement Authority and the County Economic Development Corp. Beginning from 1998 to 2991 he paid Bobby J  to help get his contracts renewed.

Rene Abru, North Hudson Political Fundraiser indicted and later convicted in August 2004 on 20 of 28 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, check kiting and illegal structuring of cash transactions.  Sentenced to jail.   He's closely aligned with West New York Mayor & Assembly Speaker Albio Sires.   Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faced up to 9 years in jail  plus be held responsible for $2,725,000 restitution to the lending institutions. 
June 2005---   Abreu  is sentenced to 87 months in prison, ordered to forfeit $300,000, fined $200,000 and ordered to pay $499,000 in restitution... Also sentenced were his 2 codefendants and former employees....
He is to report to prison by Sept 27th.  ( Jersey Journal  August 26,2005, page 3 ) 
update....  12/2/2005:  Jail bound but not there yet.... On December 3rd he is holding a "Conference on Finances in the Earthly Kingdon" (Jersey Journal 12/2/2005 )  Since 2002, he's been a born again Christian, the same year the FBI raided his office......
1/5/2006: Prisoner number 24705-050... 87 months

Former Essex County Executive James W Treffinger was convicted of corruption and fraud.  He was sentenced in October 2003 to 13 months in prison, $5,000 fine and ordered to repay Essex County $29,471.

Joseph Hernandez, North Bergen's former MUA purchasing agent, convicted of taking bribes 
sentenced to 30 months in prison

Domenic Grano, North Bergen MUA contractor, convicted for bribing Joseph Hernandez.
Sentenced to 21 months in prison

Joseph Auriemma, North Bergen's former Business Administrator, convicted of taking bribes. Sentenced to 36 months in prison

Peter Perez, North Bergen Township Commissioner, convicted of taking bribes.

Farinola, North Bergen contractor pleaded guilty to bribing several North Bergen officials

Vincent Zappulla, an aide to North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud
 

Former West New York Police Chief Alexander D Oriente was found guilty of tax evasion and extorting money, racketeering,  from gambling and prostitution operations in West New York during the 1990s'.  He served 48 months in jail beginning in 2000.  He testified in Rene Abreu's trial.  His son Alexander V Oriente received a 30-month prison sentence.   ( Albio Sires was the mayor...)

Leo R. Vartan, former Mayor of Kearney, admitted to using $70,000 in campaign funds for personal use. He was indicted on mail and tax fraud charges in 2002.   Jersey Journal 5/26/2006 ---Vartan was sentenced to 2 years probation and fined $10,000 by a federal judge.  He will also have to pay back taxes in the range of $80,000 to $90,000.
 

Peter LaVilla, the former mayor of Guttenberg from 1996 to 2000, pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return, admitting that he misappropriated $16,420 in campaign contributions and used them to trade stocks in a personal brokerage account.   The judge sentenced him to 4 years of probation and ordered him to pay the back taxes to the IRS.

Wheeling' decried in '04 Ocean campaign Hudson donation matched same day