Joseph Vas

Former Perth Amboy Democratic Municipal Chairman Raymond Geneske, a longtime political advisor to indicted Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), pleaded guilty today to charges that he participated in a straw-donor scheme to funnel campaign contributions to Vas' 2006 congressional campaign.  He faces a maximum two year prison sentence. 

Vas, who was Mayor of Perth Amboy for eighteen years before his 2008 defeat, challenged Albio Sires for the Democratic nomination for Congress in District 13 in 2006.  He received 25% of the vote. Geneske admitted to a role in a scheme to circumvent federal campaign contribution limits by accepting approximately $30,000 in cash from a "prominent developer in Perth Amboy" and trading the cash for personal checks from other individuals.   Geneske, in his court appearance, alleged that Vas was aware of the straw-donor plan.

Assemblyman and former Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas is likely to face even more charges from the federal government, The Star-Ledger reports.  

According to the paper, Assistant U.S. Attorney Briane Howe told a federal judge in Newark today that more charges against Vas were pending in front of a grand jury.  

If the charges come to fruition, it will be the fourth time in three months that Vas has been charged with corruption by either state or federal authorities.  

Vas, along with aide Melvin Ramos, was originally indicted in March by State Attorney General Anne Milgram on charges of bilking the city of Perth Amboy for personal expenses and allegedly rigging a housing lottery for an aide.  Two months later, the federal government jumped in, charging Vas with 11 counts involving the sale of an apartment building that he flipped for a huge profit.  The next day, Milgram charged Vas with even more offenses, alleging that he took gifts and payment from city vendors and laundered money to his 2006 Congressional campaign through straw donors.

A top aide to Assemblyman and former Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas pleaded guilty today to soliciting fraudulent campaign contributions for Vas’s ill-fated 2006 Democratic primary campaign for Congress.

Raymond Geneske, 73, admitted illegally taking $30,000 in cash and distributing $25,000 of it to the campaign through straw donors.  He spent another $4,000 to $5,000 on the campaign’s ground game.

Geneske is the former Perth Amboy Municipal Chairman and was  a member of the city’s Board of Education when he was charged in March.

Vas, who served as mayor of Perth Amboy from 1990 to 2008 and remains in the state Assembly, was indicted earlier this year along with aide Melvin Ramos on multiple corruption counts by both federal and state authorities.  Two other city officials – Ana Patrana, the former recretation supervisor, and Jeffrey Gumbs, the city’s director of human services and superintendent of recreation under Vas – pleaded guilty to corruption offenses in March. 

Barry Adler, a Woodbridge veterinarian who challenged now-indicted Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) at the 2007 Middlesex County Democratic Convention and lost 200-65, has filed to run as an Independent candidate for State Assembly in the nineteenth district.  The son-in-law of former Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Nicholas Venezia, Adler raised $100,000 for his Assembly bid two years ago and has $90,000 remaining in his account.  He'll face incumbent John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) and his new running mate, South Amboy Mayor Jack O'Leary, and Republicans Peter Kothari and Richard Piatkowski.

Assemblyman Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge) wants his indicted colleague, Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), to sit out the vote on the budget. 

Since March, Vas has faced multiple charges for corruption from both state and federal authorities.  All the counts pertained to his work as Perth Amboy Mayor -- a position he served in between 1990 and 2008 -- and not his role as an Assemblyman. 

“Sadly, several recent budgets have been approved with votes by legislators who were later proven to be crooks,” said Thompson. “Assemblyman Vas remains innocent until proven guilty, but a man facing a set of federal corruption charges as well as two others from state authorities has no business casting a vote on the budget especially this year when New Jersey’s financial picture is so precarious.”

Congratulations to Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), who becomes the first sitting legislator to be indicted by both federal and state grand juries under the current State Constitution.  The state indictment of Mims Hackett (D-Orange) came after his arrest on federal corruption charges and after his resignation from the State Assembly.

Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy)

Assemblyman and former Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas, who was indicted by the State Attorney General’s Office earlier this year, now faces an 11-count federal indictment involving his sale of an apartment building that he flipped for a huge profit.

Vas, a 54-year-old Democrat, is charged with mail fraud for allegedly misusing his position as mayor to misappropriate Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) funds in connection with the sale of an apartment building he owned to a contractor in 2006.  He then allegedly used about a quarter of his profit to finance his congressional primary campaign against U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York). 

Vas’s aide, Melvin Ramos – who faces charges from the state as well – was also indicted by the feds.

“Once again, we have an entrenched, powerful politician who used his power and status and insider knowledge to game the system to his illicit advantage,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra. “Through these corrupt acts that we allege, the taxpayers were victimized, a program intended to benefit the city was ripped off, and the voters who supported Vas were fooled.  This is a classic betrayal of trust by a public official.”

The indictment charges that Vas bought a 12-unit apartment building on DeKalb Avenue in December, 2005 for $660,000 – well below its assessed value of $955,000.  Five months later, the U.S. Attorney alleges, Vas flipped the property for $950,000, inducing a contractor to buy it by promising public money – including Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA) funds—to help pay for the building’s renovation.  He then allegedly instructed city employees to submit a resolution to the council that would provide $360,000 in RCA funds for the property.  It was approved in June, 2006.

Vas and Ramos are scheduled to appear in court at 11:30 this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo at the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse in Newark.  Marra has scheduled a press conference for 12:30pm. 

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) has picked Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) to replace Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) on the Assembly Budget Committee.  Vas was stripped of his committee assignments and leadership posts following his indictment on state corruption charges last month.

Celeste Riley (D-Bridgeton), who won a special election convention to replace Douglas Fisher, who is now the Secretary of Agriculture, will take Fisher's seat on the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.  She has also been assigned to the Regulated Professions and Telecommunications and Utilities Committee.

Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) has been named to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for the remainder of the legislative session.  She will replace Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton), who too Vas' post as Chairman of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) is the new Chairman of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.  He replaced Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), who was removed following his indictment on state corruption charges last month.

“New Jersey has long been an economic engine for the rest of the nation and it’s an honor to be named chairman of this important committee at such a crucial time,” said Gusciora, who was not a member of the committee before today.. “As we work to stave off the global economic recession, this committee will play a key role in our continuing efforts to ensure New Jersey emerges strong and I look forward to finding new ways to attract and retain more businesses and jobs to our state.”

Indicted Assemblyman and former Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas’s (D-Perth Amboy) home was raided by FBI agents this morning, according to a report in the Star-Ledger.

Vas was indicted by the state last month for allegedly stealing city funds for personal use, including using public money to pay for his son’s basketball camp, and for rigging an affordable housing lottery in favor of his personal driver, Anthony Jones.  Both Vas and Jones pleaded not guilty.

The FBI agents were also going through the home of Vas’s next door, Melvin Ramos, a former mayoral aide and congressional campaign treasurer to Vas who was charged by the State Attorney General’s office last month with conspiracy, money laundering and official misconduct.