JERSEY CITY – Former Jersey City Council candidate Lori Serrano, one of 46 public officials who was arrested in an FBI sting operation in 2009, has been hit with a second superseding indictment that charges her with mail fraud, on top of other charges she was already facing.
According to the new grand jury indictment, released Dec. 1, in the spring of 2009 Serrano allegedly received two $5,000 cash payments from Solomon Dwek, a cooperating government witness who posed as a real estate developer with an interest in building a project on Garfield Avenue. The indictment further alleges that Serrano diverted this illegal cash contribution to her City Council campaign, and used a portion of the money for personal expenses.
The diversion of this cash, according to the indictment, caused Serrano’s campaign to submit state election contribution reports that Serrano allegedly knew were inaccurate. These falsified campaign contribution reports were sent in the mail to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, which constitutes the alleged mail fraud in her case.
In addition to being a former City Council candidate in 2009, Serrano was also chairwoman of the Jersey City Housing Authority and served as a Democratic committeewoman for Jersey City’s sixth district.
Serrano had previously been charged in December 2009 with accepting illegal campaign contributions from Dwek. The second superseding indictment adds the new charge of mail fraud.
Serrano pleaded not guilty to the original charges filed against her. – E. Assata Wright
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