JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND — U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced on Tuesday that former Jersey City Councilman Phil Kenny was sentenced in U.S District Court in Newark to a year and a day in prison for accepting $5,000 in bribes in exchange for his agreeing to obtain real estate development approvals through his future official influence and authority. Kenny was elected last May but served on the council for only three months until he resigned in October.
Kenny pleaded guilty in October to accepting $5,000 in bribes from government informant Solomon Dwek, purportedly for his campaign, but — according to the prosecution — to help Dwek get approvals for a bogus condo project to be built on Garfield Avenue.
His plea was unusual in that he was not one of the 43 arrested last July in the major corruption sweep that netted public officials and religious leaders including former Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano.
Kenny was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose Linares to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $4,000. Kenny is out on a $50,0000 bond until he reports to jail on June 21. — RK