Manzo brothers going to federal court today

Thursday, October 15, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Former state assemblyman and failed Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo will be arraigned on federal corruption charges in Newark today along with his brother and political advisor, Ronald Manzo, officials said last night.

The brothers allegedly accepted $27,500 in bribes and are charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, three counts of attempted extortion, and two counts of travel in interstate commerce to promote and facilitate bribery.

Louis Manzo, 54, and Ronald Manzo, 65, allegedly took bribes from federal informant Solomon Dwek in exchange for promising their official help in getting approvals for a fictitious development project on Garfield Avenue.

They are also charged with promising Dwek to promote Maher Khalil, then an employee with the city Department of Health and Human Services, to a "higher position within city government," according to the indictment.

The brothers could face decades in prison if convicted.

Both Manzos were arrested July 23 as part of a massive corruption sweep that led to the arrests of 44 people in New York and New Jersey on charges ranging from money laundering and political corruption to trafficking in human organs.

Seven Hudson County officials have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the probe.

Today's arraignment will be at 11 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse.

Their trial is expected to begin early next year.

Quote:

One of the advantages of being Mayor is you can hire lots of "bag-men" and "bag-women".

Prosecutors see spring trial for Manzo brothers

Friday, October 09, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A trial date is not expected until spring for Louis Manzo, a former state assemblyman and failed Jersey City mayoral candidate who was indicted on corruption charges along with his brother and political advisor, Ronald Manzo.

The brothers allegedly took $27,500 in bribes and are charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, three counts of attempted extortion, and two counts of travel in interstate commerce to promote and facilitate bribery.

Federal prosecutors say a judge will be appointed to the case within the next few days and the brothers will be arraigned at a hearing within the next seven to 10 days. The trial date will be set for 70 days after the arraignment, officials said.

But that date will likely be pushed back into early 2010 as prosecutors and defense lawyers work through any motions filed by the attorneys, officials said.

The brothers are charged with taking bribes from federal informant Solomon Dwek in exchange for promising their official help in getting approvals for a fictitious development project on Garfield Avenue, officials said.

They also are charged with promising Dwek to promote Maher Khalil, then an employee with the city Department of Health and Human Services, to a "higher position within city government," according to the indictment.

The Manzos allegedly accepted a corrupt payment of $10,000 on Feb. 25, $7,500 on March 5, and $10,000 on April 23, the indictment says. The brothers could face decades in prison if convicted.

Both Manzos were arrested July 23 as part of a massive corruption sweep that led to the arrests of 44 people in New York and New Jersey on charges ranging from money laundering and corruption to trafficking in human organs.

Thank God, this joker never got elected as Mayor.
Talk about small miracles....

Corruption indictments hit Louis Manzo and brother

Wednesday, October 07, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Louis Manzo, a former state assemblyman and failed Jersey City mayoral candidate, was indicted yesterday along with his brother Ronald on charges they accepted $27,500 in bribes from an FBI informant while promising to fast-track approvals for a development once Manzo was elected mayor.

In addition, they are charged with promising the government informant - Solomon Dwek - to promote Maher Khalil, then an employee with the city Department of Health and Human Services, to a "higher position within city government," according to the indictment.

Both Manzos and Khalil were arrested July 23 as part of a massive corruption sweep that led to the arrests of 44 people on money laundering and corruption charges.

So far six officials in Hudson County, including Khalil, have pleaded guilty to accepting corrupt payments from Dwek.

Louis Manzo, 54, and Ronald Manzo, 65, his campaign manager, are accused of accepting corrupt payments from Dwek to fund Louis Manzo's most recent run for mayor, in May. He has run unsuccessfully for mayor five times.

Besides Khalil, the indictment names the Manzos' co-conspirators as former housing commissioner Edward Cheatam and the late political consultant Jack Shaw. Cheatam has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Dwek.

The indictment depicts a series of meetings and telephone conversations between the alleged conspirators in various combinations. The meetings were held in restaurants in Jersey City, Weehawken and Staten Island between January and April.

The Manzos allegedly accepted a corrupt payment of $10,000 on Feb. 25, $7,500 on March 5, and $10,000 on April 23, the indictment says.

The Manzo brothers are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, and three counts of attempted extortion. Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

They also are charged with two counts of travel in interstate commerce to promote and facilitate bribery, each of which carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In addition, the government seeks the return of the $27,500 allegedly taken in corrupt payments by the Manzos, officials said.

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Former Assemblyman and Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo and his brother indicted

By Ken Thorbourne/The Jersey Journal
October 06, 2009

Former Assemblyman and Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo has been indicted on corruption charges.

Former state Assemblyman and failed Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo has been indicted along with his brother Ronald on charges they obtained corrupt cash payments and illicit political contributions from a government informant.

The announcement was made this afternoon by the U.S. Attorney's Office and comes on the same day that Jersey City Councilman Philip Kenny pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

At the center of the indictments and Kenny's plea is a government informant who handed out money to dozens of politicians while asking for favors for his development projects. This government sting led to the arrest of 44 people on July 23.

Louis Manzo, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor for the fifth time this year, and Ronald, his campaign manager, are accused of accepting $27,500 cash from the government informant, Solomon Dwek.

In addition, they are charged with promising to promote Maher Khalil, then an employee with the city Department of Health and Human Services, to a "higher position within city government," according to the indictment. Khalil has already pleaded guilty to accepting corrupt payments from Dwek.

Louis Manzo, 54, and Ronald Manzo, 65, conspired with Khalil, former housing commissioner Edward Cheatam and others to "obstruct, delay, and affect interstate commerce by extortion under the color of official right," the indictment states.