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It's a bad day to be a corrupt politician (or even a corrupt rabbi) in New Jersey this morning. The FBI is arresting dozens of them in a money laundering and corruption probe.
N.J. politicians, rabbis arrested in federal money laundering sweep
NEWARK -- Federal authorities arrested dozens of people today in New York and New Jersey as part of a money laundering and corruption sweep. Those arrested included several New Jersey public officials and rabbis.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark later today. Those arrested include Assembly Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean), Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, and Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega.
Nearly 20 people, including Cammarano, Elwell, and Vega, have already been led into the FBI building in Newark to face the charges.
This one looks big. They've got the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus, Assemblymen, the Deputy Mayor of Jersey City and even rabbis in Brooklyn.
Dirty Jersey: Feds Bust Dozens in Corruption Scandal
Corruption sweep to be among biggest in state history
The mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus were among 30 people arrested in early morning raids across New Jersey this morning as federal officials unveiled a long-ranging probe into public corruption and international money laundering, officials said.
FBI and IRS rounded up scores of elected officials and several rabbis across the state in what is being described as one of the biggest investigations of its kind in Jersey's scandal-plagued history.
It appears to be a corruption-related investigation but Justice Department and FBI spokesmen would only say the corruption involved a "high-volume international money-laundering conspiracy." It is said to involve rabbis in the Syrian Jewish enclave in Brooklyn and Deal, New Jersey. The probe is said to have started when money transfers drew the interests of the feds who followed the trail back to small-town Jersey corruption.
Among those arrested this morning were Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano and Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, authorities said. Several area rabbis and other community leaders and politicians, including Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega, were brought into custody in connection with this case, officials said.
I guess the FBI has been working on this case for a long time. Maybe now that they have nabbed these crooks, they'll have a little more time on their hands to focus their attention elsewhere, like, maybe on this side of the Hudson...
Update: WHOA!
The probe also involves the trafficking of body parts, according to a person familiar with the matter. One of the individuals who was arrested Thursday morning is an alleged organ dealer, this person said.
Money laundering, corruption and trafficking in body parts? Holy crap!
Update 2: Even more WHOA!
Officials say separate from the corruption probe, some of the suspects charged today were also connected to an illegal human organ-selling ring. Investigators say some charged would take cash payments to help find organs for sick patients in need of transplants. It's unclear where the body parts might have come from or how many surgeries may have been done. The FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney's office all declined comment saying details will be given at the press conference.
snip
Defendant Issac Rosenbaum, meanwhile, was caught up in a shady organ procurement program, where an undercover FBI agent and the cooperating witness pretended to need a human liver for the undercover's sick uncle, the feds charge.
"Let me explain this to you," said Rosenbaum on February 26, 2008 according to the court documents. "It's illegal to buy [ a liver]. It's illegal to sell.They are going to investigate him [the donor] not you, not your uncle. He's going to speak to a social worker and a psychologist to find out why he is doing it... and it is our job to prepare him."
The cost would be $160,000 for the liver donation - 50 percent up front - but Rosenbaum repeatedly made it clear, according to court papers, "It's illegal to buy or sell organs. .. . So you cannot buy it. What you do is, you're giving a compensation for the time . . . whatever--he's not working. You can't even mention."
Wow. Double you tee eff? |
