Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 07:30:46 PM EST
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Updated by Jason: Here is a comment from his attorney:Vega's lawyer, Peter R. Willis, said the issue of whether the councilman knows Dwek would be resolved at trial along with the other charges. "Mariano has no intention of pleading guilty," Willis said. Another domino fell this afternoon as Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega was indicted on 8 counts after allegedly taking $30,000 in bribes from an undercover informant and making false statements to investigators:Vega allegedly conspired with Maher Khalil, another Jersey City official who was arrested in July and has since pleaded guilty, to deposit three $10,000 bribes from faux real estate developer Solomon Dwek into his campaign account through a series of straw donors. In return for the money, prosecutors contend that Vega promised Dwek help with development approvals for a make believe residential high rise development project on Garfield Avenue.
[snip]
Adding a new wrinkle to the case against Vega is the false statement charge. FBI agents met with Vega on July 22 - the day before he and 43 others were shuffled off busses and frog marched into the federal court house in Newark. In the interview, Vega claimed not to recognize a Dwek when agents showed him his photograph, despite having met with him six times in five months - including a meeting just two weeks prior. At the time of his arrest, Vega was serving as the Council President. He no longer holds that post after stepping down, but still says he's innocent and remains on Council. |
| Jason Springer :: Jersey City Councilman Vega facing 8 count indictment |
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