HUDSON COUNTY — United States Attorney Paul Fishman announced Thursday that a federal grand jury returned a seven-count Superseding Indictment against former Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo and his brother Ronald that adds one count of mail fraud to the original, six-count Indictment returned in October.
The Manzos were arrested last summer as part of a statewide FBI sting operation of political corruption.
Fishman said the Manzos allegedly devised a scheme to defraud candidates running for Jersey City council of $27,500 in cash payments received from the cooperating witness in the case, Solomon Dwek, payments which the Manzos allegedly concealed from the candidates and their campaign committee treasurer.
The additional mail fraud count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the $27,500.
This charge comes just a month after Louis Manzo held a press conference in Jersey City in which he accused former U.S. Attorney and now Governor Christopher Christie, along with other attorneys working under Christie, with using the arrests of officials last July to help boost the election of then-candidate Christie. – RK