09-10-2012, 04:51 PM
zip a dee doo dah!
(CNN) -- The mayor of New Jersey's capital city was arrested on Monday on corruption charges for allegedly accepting bribes during an undercover sting operation, FBI and court records showed.
Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, 46, his brother, Ralphiel Mack, 39, and business associate Joseph A. "JoJo" Giorgianni, 63, faced charges in connection with an alleged kickback scheme to sell city owned land to investors for well under the assessed value.
The three were due in court later in the day, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said at a news conference.
From the archives: Ex-mayor in New Jersey gets two years in prison
"The investigation revealed evidence of a conspiracy among these defendants and others to corrupt certain functions of Trenton City government in favor of purported developer seeking to build a parking garage on city-owned property in exchange for cash payments totaling approximately $119,000," according to a complaint filed in federal court.
Mack, who was charged specifically with conspiracy to corrupt commerce by extortion, employed intermediaries, "used code words and limited discussions of the scheme over the telephone" to avoid detection, the complaint said.
For example, Giorgianni would use the term "Uncle Remus"
in conversations with the mayor to connote when he had received a cash payment, Fishman said.
The charges were the result of a two-year FBI investigation that incorporated two informants cooperating with law enforcement. Fishman said at least one of those moles wore a wire to record conversations for the FBI.
Each conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, Fishman said.
Any trial would not likely occur until next year, he said.
Mack's office declined to comment when reached by CNN.
![[Image: 120910025937-tony-mack-story-top.jpg]](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120910025937-tony-mack-story-top.jpg)
(CNN) -- The mayor of New Jersey's capital city was arrested on Monday on corruption charges for allegedly accepting bribes during an undercover sting operation, FBI and court records showed.
Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, 46, his brother, Ralphiel Mack, 39, and business associate Joseph A. "JoJo" Giorgianni, 63, faced charges in connection with an alleged kickback scheme to sell city owned land to investors for well under the assessed value.
The three were due in court later in the day, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said at a news conference.
From the archives: Ex-mayor in New Jersey gets two years in prison
"The investigation revealed evidence of a conspiracy among these defendants and others to corrupt certain functions of Trenton City government in favor of purported developer seeking to build a parking garage on city-owned property in exchange for cash payments totaling approximately $119,000," according to a complaint filed in federal court.
Mack, who was charged specifically with conspiracy to corrupt commerce by extortion, employed intermediaries, "used code words and limited discussions of the scheme over the telephone" to avoid detection, the complaint said.
For example, Giorgianni would use the term "Uncle Remus"
in conversations with the mayor to connote when he had received a cash payment, Fishman said.The charges were the result of a two-year FBI investigation that incorporated two informants cooperating with law enforcement. Fishman said at least one of those moles wore a wire to record conversations for the FBI.
Each conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, Fishman said.
Any trial would not likely occur until next year, he said.
Mack's office declined to comment when reached by CNN.