Last week, nearly five months after the conclusion of their five-week trial, former Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna and his wife Anna were sentenced to 51 months each in prison for their corruption and tax fraud convictions.
Anna, a former Guttenberg Planning Board member, and her husband were convicted of accepting gifts from Guttenberg bar owner Luisa Medrano, who in turn wanted favors from the pair. Medrano then became a witness for the government.
In U.S. District Court in Newark on Oct. 24, Judge Harold Ackerman, who presided over the trial, ordered Delle Donna to pay a $12,500 fine and Anna to pay a $10,000 fine.
Last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calcagni agreed with the sentences for the small-town mayor and his wife.
“Given these two individuals were engaged in the corruption for over four years to the tune of thousands of dollars,” Calcagni said, “we agree that the 51-month sentencing is fitting for both of them.”
Small business
As mayor, David Delle Donna earned $7,700 per year for overseeing the 4-by-12-block town of Guttenberg. Medrano apparently befriended Anna Delle Donna’s wife and presented the pair with small gifts. According to a United States Department of Justice press release, the gifts included $2,000 worth of cosmetic surgery for Anna, thousands of dollars for gambling in Atlantic City, and a dog with accessories and canine insurance.
On April 29, 2008 the Delle Donnas were convicted of extortion and tax fraud after the jury deliberated for five days.
The fraud charges, according to the Department of Justice, were due to the Delle Donnas filing false federal tax returns in 2004 and 2005. Officials said the couple failed to report about $25,000 in rental income from the tenants of apartments they owned, as well as the gifts.
“We are satisfied with the sentence and believe that the judge took into account the seriousness of the Delle Donnas’ crimes and their abuse of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie in a statement.
No remorse
David Delle Donna’s attorney, Ralph Lamparello, said over the phone on Monday that neither he nor his client would make any comment on the judge’s decision.
Lamparello said that when his client did make a comment to the press last week, Christie used it against them and insinuated that Delle Donna was not remorseful.
However, Anna’s attorney, Brian Neary, said he and his client hoped that the sentencing would be lower than the guidelines. He said that they intend to appeal for that reason, along with “other issues” surrounding the trial.
Calcagni said that the case should teach others about the penalties for corruption.
“[The judge’s] decision was very emphatic about how odious public corruption is to the court,” said Calcagni. “One of my colleagues had remarked that that decision should be required reading for all public officials.”
Calcagni claimed that during the sentencing hearing, the Delle Donnas did not show remorse for their actions.
“They blamed Louisa Medrano, they blamed Javier Inclan, they blamed each other for their own crimes, but for their own crimes, they did not blame themselves,” said Calcagni.
Inclan was a former Guttenberg Councilman who served as Delle Donnas’ campaign treasurer and was Gov. Jon Corzine’s chief of staff until he resigned shortly after he testified against Delle Donna. Officials alleged that Inclan accepted two envelopes of money that he then gave to Delle Donna as campaign donations, but he was not charged with a crime.
Medrano was allegedly involved in human trafficking, and forcing women and girls to work at her bars. She will face her sentencing in federal court this January, said Calcagni. Sources have speculated that she will get a reduced sentence because of her testimony.
Corruption in small town
Calcagni said that the sentencing of the Delle Donnas, which originally was to be 78 to 97 months for Delle Donna and 63 to 78 months for Anna, was reduced because the value of the bribes was a contested issue and the judge decided to lower the sentencing.
He said that judge thought it would be fitting for them to be sentenced for the same time because “the two of them were in it together.”
“I think even in the smallest town in New Jersey, citizens are not going to stand for corrupt public officials,” said Calcagni. “We’ve had the mayor of the largest city in New Jersey [former Mayor James Sharpe of Newark], and now we see it again in the smallest city in New Jersey. I think it sends a clear message that no matter what the size of the municipality, the people of New Jersey are not going to stand for corruption.”
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