N.J. politicians, rabbis rounded up in federal probe

Whoa!


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20090723_N_J_assemblyman_and_2_mayors_arrested_in_federal_probe.html

N.J. politicians, rabbis rounded up in federal probe

By Inquirer Staff


The FBI this morning arrested 30 people, including the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus and a New Jersey state lawmaker, in what officials called a two-track corruption and international money laundering investigation.

Also arrested were several rabbis in New York and New Jersey, officials said.

The Asbury Park Press quoted unidentified sources as saying the investigation included trafficking in body parts, but did not indicate if that aspect of the case involved any of the politicians.

Public officials arrested include Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean) and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark said.

The money laundering probe involves a Yeshiva in Deal, in Monmouth County, the Press said.

Federal officials have scheduled a news conference for early this afternoon in Newark to discuss the investigations.

Honestly, when I heard the word "rabbi", I expected Democrats given the way Jewish voters trend.

TV: They're hauling people away by the busload! :wow:


Money laundering, tens of millions involved.

Cammarano and Elwell are Democrats. Not surprising. Lots of corruption in both parties in NJ.

Seems they've been under investigation for awhile now.

the party of the lone (so far) Republican.
Definitely trying to single him out.

Of course, from what it sounds like, there will probably be many many more people identified, both R's and D's.

trafficing in body parts! Holy crap!

Lots of people to blame and blame to go around.

given that this isn't some 'underground' operation by unknowns but very much the opposite, big names in high positions of power both in politics and, with the addition of rabbis, religion.

Yikes.

:wtf:

on GEM$NBC

http://www.app.com/article/20090723/NEWS/90723016/-1/FRONTTABS01/Religious+leaders++public+officials+among+those+arrested+in+federal+probe

The FBI this morning made 30 arrests in a two-track public corruption and high-volume, international money laundering probe, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Those arrested include Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, R-Ocean, and several unidentified religious leaders from Brooklyn, Deal and the Elberon section of Long Branch, sources said.

Van Pelt, 44, was elected to the state Assembly in November 2007 and started serving in January 2008. He is also the administrator of Lumberton Township in Burlington County. He also was mayor of Ocean Township (Waretown) from 1998 until last year. He resigned from the Ocean Township Committee in February.

The subjects of the arrests also include religious leaders from the Syrian Jewish enclaves in Brooklyn, Deal and Elberon. The investigation involves the Deal Yeshiva, a religious school which teaches children in the Sephardic Jewish tradition, sources said. The Yeshiva has two separate divisions: a boys' school on Logan Road in Ocean Township and a girls' school on Wall Street in West Long Branch.

The school was founded more than 20 years ago by Rabbi Isaac Dwek and Raizel Dwek, the parents of real estate mogul Solomon Dwek. Rabbi Dwek was the school's president, and Raizel was its treasurer, until 2006, when their son's real estate empire began to crumble after Solomon Dwek deposited a bad $25.2 million check at a drive-through window at the PNC Bank in Eatontown.

<SNIP>

...I know a Rabbi Dwek!

:scared:

From http://www.app.com/article/20090723/NEWS/90723016/-1/FRONTTABS01/FBI++Van+Pelt+took++10+000+bribe+for+Waretown+development

Disgraced real-estate mogul Solomon Dwek is apparently a key witness in the FBI corruption cases today.

In court documents, the FBI referred to a "cooperating witness" who was arrested in May 2006 on bank fraud charges. Dwek was charged with bank fraud that month when he tried to cash a bogus $25 million check.

The FBI this morning made the arrests this morning as part as an international money laundering probe, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Others arrested include religious leaders from Brooklyn, Deal and the Elberon section of Long Branch, sources said.

Quoting the tv. :scared:

If you were Orthodox?

trafficking in human organs is something people shouldn't do. :shrug:

I guess I'd need to be Orthodox to answer that.

makes them more attractive to body snatchers.

I agree, that this is unforgivable. They should all go to prison if found guilty.

Where did they get these body parts. Any links to those private prisons?

Human trafficking?

Dr Nancy has a decent panel.

30 persons arrested so far - this is HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

If most turn out to be Republican, I think we already know the spin.

<foxnews> People die while poorly run state agencies dither on organ allocation. Free market innovation saved lives. These heroes deserve medals, not criminal sentences. SOCIALIZED MEDICINE KILLS </foxnews>

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/nj_corruption_arrests_ensnare.html

NEWARK -- N.J. Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt and the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus are among roughly 30 people arrested this morning in a federal corruption and money laundering probe that originated in the Syrian Jewish communities in Deal and Brooklyn.

Additional New Jersey politicians arrested include Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, all Democrats.

Federal authorities also searched the office and home of Joseph Doria, the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. Investigators were seen lugging boxes from Doria's Bayonne home. Separately, FBI agents arrived at his Trenton office shortly after 9:30 a.m.

<SNIP>

Some of them could have been in the Soprano family! No disrespect to Italians, but it was pretty funny.

And thanks for the links.

I am stunned

44 arrests thus far.

Hudson County was the center of the corruption probe.

Monmouth County was the center of the money laundering probe. Dirty money received in Deal, sent to Israel, back to Brooklyn.

• Peter Cammarano III, the newly elected mayor of Hoboken and an attorney, charged with
accepting $25,000 in cash bribes, including $10,000 last Thursday, from an undercover
cooperating witness.

• Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, D-Hudson, and recent mayoral candidate in Jersey
City, charged along with an aide of taking $15,000 in bribes to help get approvals from
high-level state agency officials for building projects.

• Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, R-Ocean, charged with accepting a $10,000 bribe.

• Dennis Elwell, mayor of Secaucus, charged with taking a $10,000 cash bribe.

• Anthony Suarez, mayor of Ridgefield and an attorney, charged with agreeing to
accept a $10,000 corrupt cash payment for his legal defense fund.

• Louis Manzo, the recent unsuccessful challenger in the Jersey City mayoral election and
former assemblyman, and his brother and political advisor Robert Manzo, both with
taking $27,500 in corrupt cash payments for use in Louis Manzo’s campaign.

• Leona Beldini, the Jersey City deputy mayor and a campaign treasurer, charged with
taking $20,000 in conduit campaign contributions and other self-dealing in her official
capacity.

• Eliahu Ben Haim, of Long Branch, N.J., the principal rabbi of Congregation Ohel Yaacob
in Deal, charged with money laundering of proceeds derived from criminal activity.

• Saul Kassin, of Brooklyn, N.Y., the chief rabbi of a synagogue in Brooklyn, New York,
charged with money laundering of proceeds derived from criminal activity.

• Edmund Nahum, of Deal, the principal rabbi of Deal Synagogue, charged with
money laundering of proceeds derived from criminal activity.

• Mordchai Fish, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a rabbi at a synagogue in Brooklyn, charged with
money laundering of proceeds derived from criminal activity. His brother, also a rabbi, was charged as well.

Feasting upon the flesh of the dead. Sick.

It will be interesting to see how this develops. What hospitals, doctors, etc would do this?