Politics & Government
Former Mayor Peter Cammarano To Plead Guilty
Former mayor who was arrested on corruption charges in July to appear in federal court in Newark
According to two friends who spoke to him Monday night, former Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano will plead guilty to corruption charges Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District court in Newark.
The charges to which he'll be pleading remain unknown at this time.
One friend of Cammarano's, who asked to remain anonymous but who said he spoke to the former mayor on the phone Monday night, said that the plea deal means that the former mayor will go to federal prison for two years. The 32-year-old Cammarano also told his friend that he's taking the plea deal with the best interest of his daughter in mind. Taking the plea would mean Cammarano would be out of prison by the time his daughter is four years old.
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Cammarano, an attorney, was arrested in July 2009 after roughly three weeks in office. He was arrested along with several others and accused of taking a bribe of $25,000 in campaign contributions from an undercover agent posing as a developer. The alleged bribery offer was made at the Malibu Diner in Hoboken, according to federal officials.
Cammarano did not answer a phone call Monday night or respond to a message seeking comment.
Find out what's happening in Hobokenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The U.S. Attorney's Office sent out an advisory on Monday night stating that there will be "a court appearance of general interest at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow before Judge Linares in Newark, New Jersey."
"The proceeding will be concerning a public corruption matter," the advisory added.
One of Cammarano's friends who had spoken to him earlier on Monday night, confirmed that the former mayor will be in court at that time to plead guilty.
In the Twittersphere, there has already been buzz about Cammarano's impending court appearance. Brian Thompson, New Jersey correspondent for NBC New York, tweeted on Monday night: "frmr mayor peter camarano, word on street and blog will plead guilty morrow. I plan to be in court."
The Hoboken political blog Hudson Shark was first to report Monday night that Cammarano would plead guilty, although the blog cited no sources.
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