Aide to Former Mayor Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison on Extortion Charges

NEWARK—Michael Schaffer, who was an aide to former Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, was sentenced to 18 months in a federal medical facility and a $4,000 fine, in U.S. District Court on Tuesday. 

Schaffer was sentenced by Judge Jose Linares, in whose courtroom he pled guilty last year to conspiracy to commit extortion. Linares also sentenced Cammarano last year, to 24 months in federal prison.

In the courtroom, Schaffer apologized and said he was "ashamed."

Schaffer's lawyer, Corinne Mullen, asked the judge to reduce his sentence because he has performed community service work and suffers from a medical condition, sleep apnea, as well as a heart condition. She said after the sentencing that she was disappointed and had expected a lower sentence.

When Cammarano was councilman and candidate for the position of mayor, Schaffer accepted three unlawful cash campaign contributions totaling $15,000 from a cooperating witness ("CW"), who purported to be a real estate developer, Fishman's office announced in June, 2010.

. He also admitted that on July 16, 2009, after Cammarano had been elected and sworn in as mayor, he accepted an additional $10,000 illicit cash campaign contribution from the "CW," according to the same U.S. Attorney's press release.  

After accepting money from FBI operative Solomon Dwek, Schaffer—in his capacity as campaign aide—deposited the money and wrote checks to the Cammarano campaign, concealing where the money came from. 

Mullen said that Schaffer was asked by the Jubilee Center's Rev. Geoff Curtiss to head up a senior program. Schaffer recently threw his annual senior holiday party in town. 

Linares ultimately ruled that Schaffer's community service didn't outweigh the "disservice" to the people of Hoboken. Linares said that Schaffer "violated the trust of the people of Hoboken."

Schaffer must now report to a federal medical facility in Massachusetts, on March 7.