The Star-Ledger is reporting that Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera today in federal court pleaded guilty to corruption charges and faces up to 18-24 months in prison.
Caught in an FBI sting last year, Rivera, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of extortion after being accused of accepting $5,000 in cash from a dummy insurance brokerage firm.
Rivera resigned as mayor of Passaic, effective at 5 p.m. today, according to the Star-Ledger.
U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson continued Rivera’s release on a $200,000 bond pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 15. Rivera was arrested on Sept. 6, 2007, along with 10 other public officials and one private citizen. The arrests were part of a public corruption investigation that progressed from southern to northern New Jersey. “By his own conduct, Mr. Rivera added himself to the growing roster of corrupt public officials in New Jersey,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie. “The citizens of Passaic deserved better.”
South Jersey Democrats are touting Cinnaminson native Anthony Mazzarelli, the head of the emergency medicine department at Cooper University ... >
Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get ... >
Political discourse in America contains much in the way of intellect or intellectual honesty. One considers the Federalist Papers with wistful awe: ... >
The NJ gubernatorial election result demonstrates that Governor-elect Chris Christie resurrected the center-right voter coalition of Republicans, ... >
With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >
As in any transition, speculation is rampant as to whom Governor-elect Chris Christie will appoint as Chief of Staff, State Treasurer, and Attorney ... >
Now that the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this ... >
When he was growing up, Chris Christie's folks must have taught him that when he went to a new playground, he should pick a fight with the ... >
There has been a lot of talk about putting the issue of marriage equality on the ballot in New Jersey. This is something that Assemblywoman ... >
New Jersey voters repudiated Governor Jon Corzine's policies of the past four years on November 3rd. Republican Chris Christie and Independent ... >