Ex-Passaic Mayor Nets 21 Months For Extortion
Posted on Monday, 18 of August , 2008 at 9:02 pm
TRENTON, NJ – Former Passaic Mayor Samuel “Sammy” Rivera was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison today for engaging in an extortion scheme in which he accepted a bribe in return for his official assistance in attempting to steer public contracts to an FBI undercover company.
U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson also ordered Rivera, 61, to pay a $4,000 fine and to serve two years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison term. Judge Wolfson continued Rivera’s release on a $200,000 bond pending his surrender to officials with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, to begin serving his prison term.
On May 9, Rivera pleaded guilty before Judge Wolfson to one count of attempted extortion under color of official right.
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. Of the 11 public officials arrested, nine have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. Two are pending trial in October, 2008.
At his plea hearing, Rivera admitted that, on Aug. 13, 2007, he accepted a $5,000
corrupt cash payment in exchange for using his official influence and assistance in
attempting to obtain a City of Passaic insurance brokerage contract for an FBI undercover company, and for arranging meetings with other public officials to further obtain insurance business for the undercover company.
Rivera also admitted that on Aug. 29, 2007, he arranged and attended a meeting between key Passaic officials and members of the undercover company, where he advocated in favor of the undercover company’s business ventures. 8-18-08
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Category: Courts, Crime, Government, Politics
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