The man at the center of the Hudson County political sting is Solomon Dwek, 36, a real estate developer from the wealthy beach town of Deal, according to several reports. An article published Thursday evening in Forbes notes that Dwek was arrested in 2006 by the FBI for allegedly trying to deposit a bogus $25 million check in a bank in Eatontown. After that, Dwek apparently became a cooperating witness for the FBI.
Since that time, the FBI was able to use Dwek in a sting operation that brought down New Jersey politicians who were running for office or for re-election this year, as well as five rabbis and other Jewish leaders.
It was Dwek, according to Forbes, who went to the Malibu Diner on 14th Street in Hoboken on April 27 of this year with mayoral candidate Peter Cammarano, former Hoboken councilman and current North Hudson sewer authority commissioner Michael Schaffer, a Jersey City official, and an unnamed consultant.
As noted BELOW in our breaking news report from earlier on Thursday, Dwek was able to charm Cammarano and promised to do all his business through Schaffer (allegedly giving him numerous $5,000 cash donations for Cammarano) if Cammarano would help expedite Dwek’s development dealings in Hoboken.
According to Forbes, “The FBI used the cooperating witness to launder $3 million as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation that resulted on Thursday in the arrest of Hoboken Mayor Cammarano, Schaffer, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez and New Jersey state assemblymen L. Harvey Smith and Daniel Van Pelt … Dwek broke up cases on separate fronts for the feds, including one scheme that involved the trafficking of body parts in a network that went all the way to Israel. A lawyer for Dwek could not be reached for comment.”
According to campaign donation reports found on the internet, Dwek has been a major campaign contributor for more than 10 years to some of New Jersey’s top politicians.
Now that the dreck has hit the fan, what are your thoughts? Comment below!