What is the name of the witness that Bruce Alston allegedly threatened and could have had killed? How was the witness killed?

Jersey City is an amazing place.

I think I'd really like to know more about the death of this witness that he threatened!

Former state senate candidate in Jersey City arraigned on witness tampering charges

September 10, 2012, 7:32 PM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Former state Senate candidate Bruce Alston of Jersey City was arraigned on the charges of witness tampering and making terroristic threats today.

Alston's attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf at the hearing before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lisa Rose. The charges stem from related charges of theft and conspiracy, which were dropped following the alleged victim's death.

Alston did not speak at the hearing, and attorney, Marshall Wofsy, declined to comment afterward.

Alston's January arrest was based on allegations he was involved in a fraudulent real estate transaction. The charges he was arraigned on today pertain to a man who was a potential witness in that case.

The witness tampering charge alleges Alston, believing that an official proceeding or investigation was pending, attempted to cause the witness to withhold testimony by threatening force, officials said.

Alston entered a Communipaw Avenue restaurant the night of Jan. 16 and encountered a man who later told police he "may have some incriminating information regarding" Alston's case, a police report says.

Alston told the man, "I'm gonna (expletive) you up" while signaling to two men sitting in a car outside, police reports said. Alston fled the scene when the victim said he planned to call the police, a report says.

Alston conceded to The Jersey Journal that he used profanity, but said it was in response to the man's profane comments.

"He made a comment to me and I basically told him to go (expletive) himself," Alston said. "This is someone who is an opportunist. I don't know how he felt threatened. I didn't tell him I was going to do it, I told him to do it to himself."

Alston said he had gotten a ride to the restaurant from his mother and when he waved, it had been to tell her to pull up the car. He said he did not flee, but simply walked out, said hello to two older men across the street, and got into the car. Alston said he had no idea the person might be a witness in the case that has since been dropped.

Alston ran unsuccessfully for a state Senate seat in 2010 but said he still hopes to hold public office one day.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... e_senate_candidate_1.html

Jersey City politician Bruce Alston indicted, says charges unfounded

August 16, 2012, 2:19 PM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Former state Senate and Jersey City City Council candidate Bruce Alston has been indicted on charges of witness tampering and making terroristic threats, officials said.

Alston said the charges are unfounded.

The indictment comes three weeks after The Jersey Journal reported that related charges of theft and conspiracy filed against Alston had been dropped by the Hudson County Prosecutor?s Office following the alleged victim?s death.

Alston?s arrest in January was a result of allegations that he had been involved in a fraudulent real estate transaction, and the charges in the indictment pertain to a man who was a potential witness in that case.

In the indictment, the terroristic threats charge alleges Alston threatened to commit assault upon a witness, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said.

The witness tampering charge alleges Alston, believing that an official proceeding or investigation was pending, attempted to cause the witness to withhold testimony by threatening force, Hernandez said.

According to police, Alston entered a Communipaw Avenue restaurant the night of Jan. 16 and encountered a man who later told police he ?may have some incriminating information regarding? Alston?s case.

Alston told the man, ?I?m gonna (expletive) you up? while signaling to two men sitting in a car outside, police reports said. Alston fled the scene when the victim said he planned to call the police, according to reports.

Alston yesterday conceded he used profanity, but said it was only in response to the man?s profane comments.

?He made a comment to me and I basically told him to go (expletive) himself,? Alston said yesterday. ?This is someone who is an opportunist. I don?t know how he felt threatened. I didn?t tell him I was going to do it, I told him to do it to himself.?

Alston said yesterday that he had gotten a ride to the restaurant from his mother and when he waved, it had been to tell her to pull up the car. He said he had not fled, but simply walked out, said hello to two older men across the street, and got into car.

Alston said he had no idea the person might be a witness in the case that has since been dropped until he read the police report about his own arrest.

Hernandez said Alston will be formally arraigned in Hudson County Superior Court in September.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... politician_bruce_a_1.html

ARRESTED AGAIN FOR WITNESS TAMPERING: Jersey Journal

LINK TO JJ ARTICLE

A former state Senate candidate from Jersey City has been arrested for the second time in a week, this time after he was accused of intimidating a witness in a case against him, police say.

Bruce Alston, 40, has been charged with witness tampering and terroristic threats. Alston, his girlfriend and another woman were arrested last week after authorities accused them of participating in real estate fraud.

Alston has denied the newest charges, saying he merely screamed at a guy who screamed at him first. He said his newest arrest, like the last, is part of a "political witch hunt."

"The powers that be do not want to see a local businessman involved in local politics," he said.

According to police, Alston entered a Communipaw Avenue restaurant on Monday night and encountered a man who claims he is a key witness against Alston in the real estate fraud case.

Alston told the man, "I'm gonna (expletive) you up!" while signaling to two men sitting in a car outside, police reports said. He fled the scene when the victim said he planned to call the police, according to reports.

The victim told police he ?may have some incriminating information regarding? Alston?s case, reports said.

Alston, wearing a green sweater and blue jeans, his hands handcuffed behind his back, appeared yesterday afternoon at Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City. His bail was set at $25,000, and he was ordered to have no contact with the man he is accused of threatening.

After Alston announced his run last year against state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, he was picked up by Jersey City police on outstanding warrants, including one for not appearing for traffic tickets. He called that incident politically motivated.

Last week, he said the real estate fraud charges are ?false,? and yesterday said this week?s incident is no different. Alston called The Jersey Journal once he made bail.

Alston concedes he uttered a profanity at the man inside the Communipaw Avenue restaurant, but said he was only responding to the man?s profane comments.

He added that he was not signaling to two men sitting outside his restaurant, but to his 67-year-old mother, who had given him a ride.

Bruce Alston, 40, of Jersey City, the owner of the Mogul Lounge, also in Jersey City, has been charged with theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Tom Carroll said today

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Jersey City businessman Bruce Alston faces charges of theft by deception in real estate transaction

By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Former state Senate candidate Bruce Alston, his girlfriend and another woman have been charged in an alleged real estate fraud in which they are accused of conspiring to sell a parcel of Jersey City real estate they did not own and then using the sale proceeds to buy the property themselves, officials said yesterday.

Alston, 40, of Jersey City, the owner of the Mogul Lounge, has been charged with theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Tom Carroll said.

Arnita Rivers, 45, of East Orange, and Maisha Taylor, 38, of Jersey City, also have been arrested and they are charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Carroll said, adding that all three face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

?The charges are false,? said Alston, who confirmed last night that he is proceeding with a run for the Ward F City Council seat in November. ?I will be completely exonerated and vindicated, as will the other individuals charged with me. It is a disagreement between myself and a former business partner.?

Alston and Taylor, his girlfriend, were arrested Monday, while Rivers was arrested Tuesday, authorities said.
Last year, Alston made an unsuccessful run to represent the 31st District, which includes Jersey City, in the state Senate. He was defeated in the June Democratic primary by incumbent state Sen. Sandra B.

Cunningham, who went on to retain her seat in the November election.

Alston and Rivers operated a real estate renovation business known as Mogul Management Partners, which sought out investors to purchase depressed properties that would then be renovated and sold at a profit, Carroll said.

In the case that prompted the charges, Carroll said, Alston and Rivers allegedly created a fictitious deed making it appear Mogul Management Partners owned a particular property in Jersey City.

A victim then purchased the parcel, which Mogul had no right to sell and which did not become the property of the person who paid for it, Carroll said. Mogul then used the money from the fraudulent sale to purchase the property for half the amount, Carroll said.

The victim then paid additional money for renovations to the property, which were never completed, prosecutors allege. Bank records show that Taylor, of Blu Angel Title, shared in the proceeds of the theft, prosecutors allege.

Rivers? attorney, Samuel DeLuca, said his client wasn?t even at the closing in question, adding that she ?has done nothing wrong and she is shocked by the charges.?

It was not clear who is representing Taylor.
Alston?s bail was set at $75,000, Rivers? at $50,000 and Taylor?s at $35,000, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said last night, noting that all had been posted.

Wow!!!

This blowhard is always chirping away on FB about politicians this and politicians that, and he turns out to be just as corrupted as those he berates.

I hope he abandons his intentions to run for Ward F Council.

What a joke!!!!!!!!!!

The FBI and ALL enforcement bodies should audit every POLITICIAN in Jersey City - It would appear that it's only a matter of time before they are exposed for one thing or another .... but only after they have done their damage to the community or individuals

LINK TO JJ ARTICLE


Former state Senate candidate Bruce Alston, his girlfriend and another woman have been charged in an alleged real estate fraud in which they allegedly sold a parcel of Jersey City real estate they did not own and then used the money to buy the property themselves, officials said today.

Alston, 40, of Jersey City, the owner of the Mogul Lounge, also in Jersey City, has been charged with theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Tom Carroll said today.

Arnita Rivers, 45, of East Orange, and Maisha Taylor, 38, of Jersey City, also have been arrested and they are charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Carroll said, adding that all those charged face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Alston and Taylor, his girlfriend, were arrested Monday, while Rivers was arrested today, authorities said.
mtaylor.jpgMaisha Taylor

Alston made an unsuccessful run in the state 31st District, which includes Jersey City. He was defeated in the June Democratic primary by incumbent Sandra Bolden Cunningham, who went on to retain her seat in the November election.

Alston and Rivers operated a real estate renovation business known as Mogul Management Partners, which sought out investors to purchase depressed properties which would then be renovated and sold at a profit, Carroll said. Detectives determined that the pair were using fake documents to create the impression that Mogul Management Partners owned properties in which it actually had no ownership interest in, Carroll said.

In this case, Alston and Rivers allegedly created a fictitious deed making it look like Mogul Management Partners owned a particular property in Jersey City, Carroll said.

A victim was then induced to buy the parcel which Mogul had no right to sell and which did not become the property of the person who paid for it, Carroll alleged. Mogul then used the money from the fraudulent sale to purchase the property for half the amount, Carroll alleged.

The victim then paid additional money for renovations to the property, which were never completed, prosecutors allege. Bank records show that Taylor, of Blu Angel Title, shared in the proceeds of the theft, prosecutors allege.

The investigation began in June 2011 when Jersey City police contacted the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office with information about several transactions involving Alston and Rivers, Carroll said.

The Prosecutor's Office's Special Investigations Unit conducted the investigation that led to the arrests and the investigation is ongoing, Carroll said.