One of the most prominent politicians in last summer's corruption sting admitted accepting $25K from FBI informant Solomon Dwek
Former Hoboken Mayor Peter J. Cammarano III, right, arrives at the Federal Courthouse in Newark with his attorney, Joseph A. Hayden, Jr., this morningHOBOKEN — Peter Cammarano III, the youthful ex-mayor of Hoboken who became the face of the biggest political corruption sting in the state's history, was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Arrested just three weeks after taking office, he pleaded guilty in April to accepting $25,000 in illegal campaign contributions in exchange for his support of high-rise building projects being proposed by an undercover informant who was posing as a crooked developer.
Cammarano was one of the most prominent of the many public officials nabbed in the sting last year, which led to the arrests of more than 40 people, including mayors, state legislators, five rabbis and a man accused of trying to broker the sale of a black market human kidney.
In criminal complaints, the informant, later identified as failed Monmouth County developer Solomon Dwek, had repeatedly asked whether Cammarano could move his projects forward. Going by the name of David Esenbach, Dwek asked Cammarano &mdash then a Hoboken councilman in a tight race for mayor that he would ultimately win &mdash "So if you sponsor it, boom?"
"Yeah," Cammarano replied, "I promise you ... you’re gonna be, you’re gonna be treated like a friend."
In words that would come back to haunt him, Cammarano boasted to Dwek about grinding his political opponents "into powder." He predicted not even criminal charges could prevent his election.
"I could be, uh, indicted, and I’m still gonna win," declared Cammarano, who was arrested three weeks after taking office.
Since the arrests last July, a total of 19 people have pleaded guilty &mdash most recently Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim, who admitted in June that he used religious charities to launder up to $1.5 million that he thought had come from insurance scams, bank frauds and the sale of knock-off handbags.
Two other people have been convicted &mdash former Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini and former assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt. Another — Jack Shaw, a political operative charged with extortion &mdash died days after his arrest.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares ruled that Beldini, 76, can remain free on $100,000 bail until an appeals court decides on claims that she had an unfair trial. She was to begin a three-year prison term this week on charges she accepted $20,000 in corrupt campaign contributions.
Previous coverage:
• Ex-Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III is due to plead guilty in N.J. corruption bust
• Former Hoboken mayor Cammarano will keep pay from unused vacation
• Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano resigns in wake of corruption arrest
• FBI says Hoboken's new mayor employed old school political tactics
• Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano is charged in N.J. corruption sweep