Full List of Those Charged in Today’s Corruption Bust

By • Jul 23rd, 2009 • Category: Blog, News, Politics

Here’s the full list of people charged in the public corruption portion of the federal investigation that culminated in the arrest of many political heavies today. Those charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right and/or attempted extortion under color of official right could, if convicted, face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000. Those charged with agreeing to offer a bribe payment to a public official, could, if convicted, face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000.

• Moshe Altman, 39, of Monsey, NY, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right and money laundering (Developer)

• Charlie Ammon, 33, of Lakewood, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right

• Leona Beldini, 74, of Jersey City, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Deputy Mayor of Jersey City)

• Peter Cammarano III, 32, of Hoboken, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Mayor of Hoboken)

• Joseph Cardwell, 68, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with agreeing to offer bribe to public official (Longtime political consultant and a commissioner of the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority)

• Joseph Castagna, 53, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Health Officer with the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services)

• Guy Catrillo, 54, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with attempted extortion under color of official right (Recent Jersey City Ward E City Council candidate; Jersey City planning aide; member of the Mayor’s Action Bureau)

• Edward Cheatam, 61, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & attempted extortion (Former Vice President — until May — of the Jersey City Board of Education; affirmative action officer for Hudson County, Jersey City Housing Authority commissioner)

• Dennis Elwell, 64, of Secaucus, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Mayor of Secaucus)

• Itzak Friedlander, 41, of Union City, NJ, charged with money laundering conspiracy

• Richard Greene, 45, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Aide to Jersey City Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith)

• John Guarini, 59, of Bayonne, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Jersey City building inspector)

• Shimon Haber, 34, of Brooklyn, NY, charged with money laundering conspiracy

• Denis Jaslow, 46, of Wall, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Hudson County Board of Elections investigator)

• Maher A. Khalil, 39, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & attempted extortion (Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services deputy director; former member of the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment)

• James P. “Jimmy” King, 67, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City Ward C City Council candidate; former head of the Jersey City Parking Authority)

• Louis Manzo, 54, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former state Assemblyman from Jersey City and mayoral candidate)

• Michael Manzo, 53, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City Ward B City Council candidate; employee of the Jersey City Fire Department)

• Ronald Manzo, 65, of Bayonne, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Brother of Lou Manzo)

• Michael Schaffer, 58, of Hoboken, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (North Hudson Utilities Authority commissioner; close associate of Peter Cammarano)

• Lori Serrano, 37, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City At-Large City Council candidate; former chair of the Jersey City Housing Authority)

• Jack Shaw, 61, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Political Consultant)

• L. Harvey Smith, 60, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (State Assemblyman from Jersey City; former City Council president; former candidate for Mayor)

• Anthony R. Suarez, 42, of Ridgefield, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Mayor of Ridgefield)

• Vincent Tabbachino, 68, of Fairview, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & money laundering (Owner of a tax-preparation business in Guttenberg)

• Daniel M. Van Pelt, 44, of Waretown, NJ, charged with attempted extortion under color of official right (State Assemblyman from Lumberton Township)

• Mariano Vega, 59, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Jersey City Council President; director of the Hudson County Department of Parks, Engineering and Planning)

• Lavern Webb-Washington, 60, of Jersey City, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City Ward F City Council candidate)

• Jeffrey Williamson, 57, of Lakewood, NJ, charged with attempted extortion under color of official right (Lakewood housing inspector)

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is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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  • Juli Barbato

    Two corrections: Lou Manzo was a two-term NJ State Assemblyman for the 31st legislative district, not a JC assemblyman. L. Harvey Smith is a former mayor of Jersey City. If I recall correctly, he was interim mayor after Glen Cunningham’s death. I believe he was City Council pres. at the time Glen died and, thus, next in line.

  • http://www.jerseycityindependent.com Jon Whiten

    Hi Juli-

    Thanks; we slightly misworded the Manzo thing and it’s fixed now. As for Smith, he was acting mayor for a few months but his more prominent roles were as Assemblyman and Council President. He was only acting mayor for a short time, so we left that out. Thanks again…

  • Corrupt Indiana

    I wish this would happen in the Indiana courts. They are corrupt to the bone, all the way through the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. I can prove open fraud prevails so much, they no longer can discern truth. They have a “pattern” of giving bogus reasons for not listening to ones (fraud complaint) issue, affirming, then remanding back for assessment of attorney fees, which are punitive and severe. Rules of court, specifically “Preserving the Integrity of the Profession” are openly ignored.

    One attorney here says it’s not about justice or truth, but now a “competition” within the bar to “see who can get away with the biggest lie”.

    With 98 of 100 disciplinary complaints dismissed without investigation, and virtually none held liable, we have a runaway state of corruption and the courts have lost all legitimacy. The FBI, Attorney General, and other watchdogs, spend more time denying that the problem exists, than listening to the complaints.