Posted on 05/09/2002 6:55:38 AM PDT by Exit 109
NEWARK, May 8 Ñ A businessman and Democratic fund-raiser was charged today with extorting payoffs from gambling operations in West New York while claiming to represent a high-level official, believed by many to be Mayor Albio Sires, now speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.
The businessman, Rene Abreu, 40, is a mortgage broker and real estate developer active in North Jersey politics who has raised money for Mr. Sires, for Senator Robert G. Torricelli and for Representative Robert Menendez. Mr. Abreu and his wife, Lourdes Adan-Abreu were named with nine employees and associates in the indictment.
Mr. Sires, who is still the mayor of West New York and became the Assembly speaker this year, was not named in the indictment. But the indictment referred to a "high-ranking West New York public official," and he said this evening that he believed that he was the official.
A former West New York police chief, Alexander V. Oriente, testified at a police corruption trial in 1999 that he had given Mr. Abreu money that he understood was intended for Mr. Sires.
Mr. Sires, who has maintained that the police chief was seeking revenge, has denied the accusation. Mr. Sires has never been charged with anything.
"I wish it wasn't me," Mr. Sires said of the official mentioned in the indictment. "But that's what the chief said at the trial.
"I'm very upset and very angry at this whole process," he added. He said federal investigators had not asked him about the allegations.
"Seven years I've been mayor here, and they never even asked my name," he said.
The conspiracy count involving protection of illegal gambling was the only charge in the 43-count indictment related to municipal corruption.
In the others, Mr. Abreu is charged with mortgage fraud, check-kiting, money laundering and bribing bank officials in schemes to defraud financial institutions, using several companies that he and his wife own in Guttenberg.
His lawyer, Gerald Krovatin, said after the defendants' initial court appearance today that Mr. Abreu had done nothing wrong and that he "looks forward to his day in court." Mr. Krovatin described his client as a "determined, hard worker who came here as an immigrant and started with nothing."
"He is the American dream," Mr. Krovatin said.
Mr. Abreu, who was born in Cuba, was well known in the Cuban-American communities in Union City, West New York and other Hudson County towns. He helped Mr. Sires, also a Cuban-American, in his first run for office. But Mr. Sires said the two "parted ways" in 1997 and had barely seen each other since.
Federal agents have been investigating Mr. Abreu's businesses for several years. In announcing the indictments today, a United States attorney, Christopher J. Christie, would not say whether the charges were connected to his office's continuing investigation of municipal corruption across North Jersey. He also refused to comment on Mr. Sires or to say why the West New York official in the indictment was not named.
Mr. Christie did say, however, that the municipal corruption investigation was continuing, and he stressed that, except for domestic terrorism, it was his office's highest priority.
"Public officials need to know that this investigation is ongoing," Mr. Christie said. "Today is another opportunity for us to send that message out."
The indictment charges that Mr. Abreu and Manuel Mier of West New York demanded bribes and protection money that Mr. Oriente, the former police chief in West New York, and other police officers collected from illegal gambling operations. They received cash payments from 1995 to 1997, the indictment alleges.
In that sentence, the word "Democrat" is redundant.
Extortion, criminal actions, bribery and voter fraud are the corner stones of the RAT Party!
Yes.
Thanks for the links . . . I hope to have some time to dive into them late tonight.
Hope things are well in your world - haven't seen you in a long time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.