Mayor of NJ’s Capital City Arrested for Alleged Kickback Scheme
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Photodisc/Digital Vision/Thinkstock(TRENTON, N.J.) — Over the years, New Jersey politicians have gotten into some scrapes with the law and the latest to face possible jail time is Tony Mack, the mayor of Trenton, the state’s capital.
At a news conference Monday, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced that Mack, his brother and a business associate allegedly sold land owned by Trenton to investors at bargain basement prices for kickbacks worth $119,000.
According to a criminal complaint, Mack “used code words and limited discussions of the scheme over the telephone” to try and fool investigators who might be listening to his calls.
Evidently, the system failed since the mayor is now charged with conspiracy to corrupt commerce by extortion that alone carries a maximum 20-year sentence upon conviction. Mack was released Monday on $150,000 bond.
The FBI built its case against the mayor and his co-conspirators with two informants, including one who was wired to record conversations.
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