Ralph Marra

A jury took about four hours today to convict former Passaic City Councilman Jonathan Soto on all 23 counts of federal bribery, extortion and drug possession charges.  He faces up to 30 years in prison.

The 33-year-old Soto, who still serves as the Passaic Republican Municipal Chairman, was convicted of accepting $44,500 in bribes for him and two other city officials who have already pleaded guilty, former Mayor Sammy Rivera and former Councilman Marcellus Jackson.

"Like so many others we've encountered in this investigation, Soto leveraged his position as an elected official and sold his office for cash," said Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, Jr. "We are gratified that the jury recognized this and convicted Soto on all counts."

The convention wisdom is that Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, Jr. will end his longtime service with the Department of Justice when Paul Fishman takes over, rather than drop down to another post within the office of the federal prosecutor.  The 55-year-old Marra has spent 23 years on the government payroll as an Assistant U.S. Attorney; he won't be struggling to find law firms willing to offer him a partnership.

Look for First Assistant Michele Brown, who made some news earlier this month when she attended a politically-oriented social gathering at the home of her former boss, Christopher Christie, to end her seventeen-year affiliation with the U.S. Attorney's office.

Fishman has given no indication of his choices for some of the top positions in his office, including First Assistant, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, Deputy U.S. Attorney, Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, Criminal Chief, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys in charge of the Trenton and Camden offices.  During his eleven years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Fishman headed the Criminal and Narcotics divisions, and was First Assistant for four years.

It is realistic to think that Fishman will move career prosecutors up the ladder. Deputy U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick; Marc Larkins, the counsel to the U.S. Attorney; Charles McKenna, the Chief of the Criminal Division; and James Lynch, a former Acting Camden County Prosecutor who now heads the U.S. Attorney's Camden office.

Eight years ago, the last time the two United States Senators from New Jersey signed off on a candidate for U.S. Attorney, the appointment of a First Assistant U.S. Attorney was part of the deal.  That was when the new Republican President, George W. Bush, wanted to name Christopher Christie as the new federal prosecutor.  Because Christie had no criminal law or prosecutorial experience, Democratic Senators Robert Torricelli and Jon Corzine only agree to sign off on his appointment if they had input into the selection of Christie's number two.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Walter Timpone was widely expected to get the First Assistant post; he was the one Torricelli and Corzine (mostly Torricelli; Corzine was a freshman) had been pushing.  He also became Christie's choice, and the new U.S. Attorney went to Washington to lobby on his behalf.  But Timpone's chances faded after FBI surveillance revealed that while acting as the defense attorney for former Hudson County Executive Robert Janiszewski, who had allegedly been recruited by federal prosecutors to be a witness against Torricelli, was visiting Torricelli at his home.  There was a feeling that Timpone had tipped off the senior Senator, and while he avoided prosecution for tampering, his prospects of becoming First Assistant were over. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, Jr. will remain in office until June 29, unless Paul Fishman is nominated and confirmed before then.

Now that Paul Fishman has been recommended for U.S. Attorney by New Jersey's two Democratic U.S. Senators, the next step will be a formal nomination by the President.  By tradition, the White House accepts the name suggested by the Senators, especially when they are from the President's party and that both Senators have the same choice.  That makes Fishman all but certain to get the job.

Barack Obama, in office for 24 days and devoting nearly all his efforts to the passage of his economic stimulus package, has not yet nominated any U.S. Attorneys.  But New Jersey insiders suggest that Fishman might get fast tracked, especially since his likely predecessor, Christopher Christie, is seeking the Republican nomination for Governor. 

Paul Fishman is expected to become the next U.S. Attorney after receiving the support of U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez.

Paul Fishman is likely to become New Jersey's next United States Attorney after receiving the endorsements of New Jersey's two U.S. Senators today.

In a joint letter to President Obama, Frank R. Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) are recommending the appointment of Fishman, a former federal prosecutor and Justice Department official.  

The post has been vacant since Republican Christopher J. Christie resigned on December 1.  Ralph Marra, Jr. is now the Acting U.S. Attorney.

"With so many critical issues facing our state, Paul Fishman will be a terrific U.S. Attorney.  He has the knowledge, expertise and judgment to protect the people of New Jersey in the years ahead," said Lautenberg, who has been advocating Fishman's appointment since last fall.

Menendez said that "New Jersey families deserve a U.S. Attorney who makes protecting them from economic crimes, the spreading gang activity, as well as gun and drug trafficking a priority of the office."

"I am confident that Paul Fishman will work with integrity and effectiveness to do just that," Menendez said.

Lautenberg pushed hard for Fishman to get the U.S. Attorney post when Faith Hochberg was nominated to a federal judgeship in 1999.  But Fishman got in the middle of a rather extraordinary public feud between Lautenberg and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.  The Clinton administration sided with Torricelli, and when Hochberg resigned to take her seat on the bench (after a lengthy delay in the confirmation process), Attorney General Janet Reno elevated Torricelli's preferred choice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cleary, as New Jersey's interim federal prosecutor.  

The 52-year-old Fishman, a Princeton University graduate and editor of the Harvard Law Review, worked in the U.S. Attorney's office as Chief of the Criminal Division and as First Assistant before going to Washington as a senior advisor to Reno and as a Deputy U.S. Attorney General.  Fishman is a partner at Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler and Adelman, where he specializes in white collar criminal matters.  Fishman has represented several public officials prosecuted by Christie, and is currently an attorney for former CWA Local 1034 President Carla Katz, who is seeking to keep her e-mail correspondence with Governor Jon Corzine private.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown with her former boss, Chris Christie, at a forum at Fairleigh Dickinson University last year.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown was among the guests at a small social gathering held last Sunday at the Mendham home of Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie, but her attendance at the event - which was not political event though many of the attendees were Republican County Chairmen, legislators and campaign staffers - did not violate any federal law or regulation. 

Brown was the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Christie's counsel before Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, Jr. elevated her to his old job as the number two in command of the federal prosecutor's office.  A career prosecutor, she is a close personal friend of Christie and his wife, Mary Pat, and has been the U.S. Attorney's office for seventeen years.

With some obvious restrictions, Justice Department employees are allowed to associate with and support political campaigns, according to a website maintained by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.  Sources say that while some of the talk at Christie's home turned to politics and his bid to unseat Governor Jon Corzine, Brown did not participate in those conversations.  There are no guidelines against maintaining personal friendships while working at the Department of Justice.

From the website:

Defense attorney Joseph Hayden says he won't seek appointment as the U.S. Attorney from New Jersey

Joe Hayden, a prominent defense lawyer whose name has surfaced in legal and political circles as a potential pick for U.S. Attorney, took his own name out of the mix today.

“It is an honor that people within the legal community suggested that my name be considered as a candidate for the next United States Attorney,” said Hayden in response to an inquiry from PolitickerNJ.com.  “I have reflected upon it, but I am convinced that I have longstanding commitments to clients -- a half dozen clients -- that would not make this possibility feasible.”

Hayden represents Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero, who was indicted in September on eight corruption counts.  He also represents former Nets star Jayson Williams, who faces a retrial for manslaughter over the shooting of his limo driver in 2002. 

A suspended detective-sergeant of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department and former Haledon Borough council member pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute cocaine and some heroin he stole from the evidence vault at the Sheriff’s Department, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr.

Alan Souto, 40, admitted before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares that he received at least $250,000 from the sale of the drugs, which he told the judge was at least 43 kilograms (94.6 pounds) of cocaine and 700 grams of heroin.

Marra said Souto pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information, charging him with conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, Jr., who took office at 12:01 AM EST today, is now 1-0.

As part of Operation Bid Rig, a former employee of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the first public corruption release issued under the auspices of Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra. 

The feds charged Leroy Robinson, 52, of Maplewood, in March 2008 in a six-count indictment with various money laundering offenses. 

“The guilty plea of Leroy Robinson represents the most recent conviction to arise from Operation Bid Rig, the same investigation which has led to charges against more than 20 officials in Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset Counties, including convictions of the former mayors of Asbury Park, Ocean Township, West Long Branch, Brick Township, Hazlet and Keyport,” said U.S. Attorney spokesman Michael Drewniak.

Ralph Marra, Jr., a career federal prosecutor, will become the Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

Ralph Marra, Jr., a career federal prosecutor who has been with the Department of Justice since 1985, will become Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey at midnight, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office.  U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey approved Christie's recommendation of Marra last week.  Christie will leave office at midnight and is expected to seek the Republican nomination for Governor.

Marra will serve for 210 days -- until June 29, 2009 -- unless a new U.S. Attorney is nominated and confirmed before then.