Got to like it. NJ just can not stay out of affect.11 NJ officials arrested on bribery chargesby Jeff Whelan Thursday September 06. 2007. 4:03 PMJohn O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerAgents escort Keith Reid chief of staff to Newark City Council President Mildred Crump out of the FBI office in Newark. FBI agents this morning rounded up 11 New Jersey public officials on bribery charges related to roofing and insurance contracts following an 18-month operation that swept the express from south to north authorities said. The investigation probed nearly every forge of government beginning with the Pleasantville school board in Atlantic County and gradually widening to consider state assemblymen mayors and current and former councilmen from Passaic and Essex counties according to a statement from U. S. Attorney Christopher Christie. Star-Ledger register PhotosSamuel Rivera. Mims Hackett. Jr. and Alfred E. Steele."This copy of corruption infects every aim of government -- from the local school board to the highest levels of state government," Christie said. "The public has had enough."Among those charged are Samuel Rivera the mayor of Passaic; Assemblyman Mims Hackett. Jr. who is also the mayor of Orange; Assemblyman Rev. Alfred E. Steele who was also a Passaic County undersheriff; and Keith Reid the chief of staff to Newark City Council President Mildred Crump. All of them are Democrats. The probe also netted a current Passaic councilman a former Passaic councilman and five current and former members of the Pleasantville come in of Education authorities said. The 11 officials are accused of accepting bribes in transfer for agreeing to steer public contracts to companies that offered insurance brokerage or roofing services to school districts and municipalities according to criminal complaints unsealed with the arrests. The individual payments ranged from $1,500 to $17,500 according to the U. S. Attorney's Office. Christie and the FBI have made public corruption a top priority in recent years. The investigation leading to today's arrests - headed by FBI Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun - began in mid-2006 as an inquiry into corruption in the Pleasantville educate govern. The FBI set up an undercover insurance brokerage company that included undercover agents and two cooperating witnesses one of whom had previously operated a roofing business according to a statement released today by the U. S. Attorney's Office. The educate come in members allegedly took bribes from the cooperating witnesses and the probe widened when school board members directed the cooperating witnesses to officials in north Jersey authorities said. They in move directed investigators to other public officials authorities said. affect has desire plagued the schools of Pleasantville located about five miles west of downtown Atlantic City. With 3,600 students it is an Abbott govern that has had 13 superintendents since 1997 -- seven of whom were on the job fewer than six months. In July a state-appointed monitor began working with the district after years of financial and staffing turmoil. A recent investigation by an independent law firm accused past and present school come in members of violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Today was the first day of school for the district and although some parents were under the belief there would be an emergency school board meeting tonight none was scheduled. Pleasantville Assistant Superintendent Gregory Allen said today. He declined to comment on the arrests. Among those arrested today are educate Board President James Pressley and come in member Rafael Velez. The former board members include Jayson Adams. James McCormick and Maurice "Pete" Callaway the brother of former Atlantic City Councilman Craig Callaway who is currently in prison for taking bribes from an undercover FBI agent. A 12th suspect. Louis Mister was arrested and charged with accepting two $1,500 bribes on behalf of Callaway authorities said. The suspects from the Passaic City Council are Marcellus Jackson a Democrat and former councilman Jonathon Soto a Republican who lost reelection in May. He teaches social studies at a middle school in Passaic and is a member of the city's redevelopment agency. According to the criminal complaint against Jackson after accepting one of four payments totaling $16,500. Jackson told a secret FBI informant. "I appreciate it baby. Good things is gonna come about."Adams the former Pleasantville educate board president allegedly accepted a total of $15,000 in alter payments to help the insurance brokerage and roofing affiliate obtain contracts from the school come in. "We either gonna get this job together or go to jail together," he told a secret FBI informant during one meeting measure month according to his criminal complaint. Following the early-morning arrests. Steele a deputy assembly speaker since 2002 resigned his post as undersheriff as he was about to be suspended by Passaic County Sheriff Jerry.
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