Tuesday, June 18, 2019 11:20:35 PM
New details of Hoboken cash-for-votes scheme revealed during day 2 of developer’s trial
Jun 18, 7:33 PM
Frank "Pupie" Raia, a real-estate developer and major figure in Hoboken politics for decades, and who is accused of overseeing a cash-for-votes operation during the city's 2013 municipal race, leaves the federal courthouse in Newark on Monday, June 17, 2019, after jury selection for his trial.
NEWARK — New details were revealed Tuesday in the Hoboken voter fraud trial of Frank Raia, including the revelation that between at 300 and 400 people were paid for their votes during the 2013 municipal election.
On the second day of the trial in Newark federal court, Matt Calicchio, an ex-political operative in the Mile Square City, continued his testimony against Raia, who is charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Travel Act for using the mail for voter bribery.
The government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean M. Farrell and Rahul Agarwal, allege that Raia, a 67-year-old developer, used a network of campaign officials — or “captains” — to pay low-income residents living in subsidized housing $50 each for their votes through absentee ballots.
One of those voters, Patricia Tirado, testified that Lizaida Camis, one of Raia’s captains, helped her fill out her absentee ballot in 2013. Camis has since pleaded guilty in the probe.
“She came and told me what to circle and where to sign. Then she told me where to go to pick up my check,” she said.
Voters would submit unsealed ballots to Raia’s captains, who would fill out the ballots. After the election was over, voters would then go to Raia’s headquarters on Jefferson Street to pick up their $50 checks — but not before signing a declaration that they had done election work for the campaign.
Voters were also directed to vote yes on a ballot referendum that would have weakened rent control laws in the city. Both Raia and the referendum lost.
Another voter, Latasha Swindon, said her check had been made out by Bluewater Operations, a political consulting firm that Calicchio testified Raia began using in order to try and conceal the payments he was making to voters — thus avoiding having to disclose the payments on election finance reports for the 2013 municipal election.
“Frank wanted to hire somebody to write the checks so he didn’t have to ... he wanted to circumvent the ELEC process so he didn’t have to show all the checks,” Calicchio said.
Later during the trial, one of the founders and principals of the since defunct organization, Ryan Yacco, testified to the jury.
Yacco, who is involved with the Passaic County Democratic Organization, has been a consultant for First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco and is currently working his reelection campaign for city council.
Yacco, 38, said his firm cut checks for “300 to 400 people” for Raia’s political action committee, Let The People Decide, as well as Raia’s council — composed of Raia, Tim Occhipinti, Peter Biancamano and Britney Montgomery-Cook — in 2013.
He said he primarily communicated with Raia or Jamie Cryan, who later became West New York’s business administrator. In total, Bluewater Operation wrote more than $20,000 in checks for the campaign.
Captains under the direction of Raia would receive emails from the Hudson County Clerk’s office about who was receiving vote-by-mail ballots upon request. Several emails were sent to Calicchio, Raia, and Michelle Russo, according to former Hudson County Board of Elections employee Brian Cardino, who testified Tuesday.
Russo, who has since passed away, is the mother of current sixth ward Councilman Michael Russo and was the wife of former Mayor Anthony Russo.
Calicchio, who has been involved in the gritty world of Hoboken politics since at least 2005 while he was still in high school, was first contacted by the FBI in the summer of 2017. He began cooperating with authorities in 2018 for a reduced sentence. He has since pleaded guilty to participating in the scheme in connection to the 2013 and 2015 municipal elections in Hoboken.
“I wanted to see the people that I was supporting win, and I was hoping if they won they would give me a job,” Calicchio said.
His testimony has shown a light on operations that sources say has a wide reach in Hoboken.
Calicchio, 29, testified that he also worked the cash-for-votes scheme in the city’s 2015 municipal election for then-candidate Eduardo Gonzalez, who unsuccessfully ran for the Fifth Ward council seat.
Authorities say another council candidate allegedly benefited from the scheme in 2015, although their identity has not yet been disclosed.
Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.
He also told the jury that, while working with the FBI, he was wired up during conversations with Gonzalez, Peter Belfiore, a former council candidate, and current County Freeholder Anthony Romano. The subject of those recordings was not discussed in court on Tuesday, but prosecutors did say those recordings were admitted as evidence.
Defense Attorney Alan L. Zegas tried painting the government’s witnesses as unreliable — and attempted to cast doubt on their motivations.
Calicchio is asking for a reduced sentence for cooperating with the government. He first lied to a grand jury in 2017, which Zegas honed in on.
But Calicchio later said that he "wanted to tell the truth and come clean."
“It was the right thing to do,” he added.
https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/06/jersey-city-man-pleads-guilty-to-food-stamp-fraud-in-connecticut.html
Jun 18, 7:33 PM
Frank "Pupie" Raia, a real-estate developer and major figure in Hoboken politics for decades, and who is accused of overseeing a cash-for-votes operation during the city's 2013 municipal race, leaves the federal courthouse in Newark on Monday, June 17, 2019, after jury selection for his trial.
NEWARK — New details were revealed Tuesday in the Hoboken voter fraud trial of Frank Raia, including the revelation that between at 300 and 400 people were paid for their votes during the 2013 municipal election.
On the second day of the trial in Newark federal court, Matt Calicchio, an ex-political operative in the Mile Square City, continued his testimony against Raia, who is charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Travel Act for using the mail for voter bribery.
The government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean M. Farrell and Rahul Agarwal, allege that Raia, a 67-year-old developer, used a network of campaign officials — or “captains” — to pay low-income residents living in subsidized housing $50 each for their votes through absentee ballots.
One of those voters, Patricia Tirado, testified that Lizaida Camis, one of Raia’s captains, helped her fill out her absentee ballot in 2013. Camis has since pleaded guilty in the probe.
“She came and told me what to circle and where to sign. Then she told me where to go to pick up my check,” she said.
Voters would submit unsealed ballots to Raia’s captains, who would fill out the ballots. After the election was over, voters would then go to Raia’s headquarters on Jefferson Street to pick up their $50 checks — but not before signing a declaration that they had done election work for the campaign.
Voters were also directed to vote yes on a ballot referendum that would have weakened rent control laws in the city. Both Raia and the referendum lost.
Another voter, Latasha Swindon, said her check had been made out by Bluewater Operations, a political consulting firm that Calicchio testified Raia began using in order to try and conceal the payments he was making to voters — thus avoiding having to disclose the payments on election finance reports for the 2013 municipal election.
“Frank wanted to hire somebody to write the checks so he didn’t have to ... he wanted to circumvent the ELEC process so he didn’t have to show all the checks,” Calicchio said.
Later during the trial, one of the founders and principals of the since defunct organization, Ryan Yacco, testified to the jury.
Yacco, who is involved with the Passaic County Democratic Organization, has been a consultant for First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco and is currently working his reelection campaign for city council.
Yacco, 38, said his firm cut checks for “300 to 400 people” for Raia’s political action committee, Let The People Decide, as well as Raia’s council — composed of Raia, Tim Occhipinti, Peter Biancamano and Britney Montgomery-Cook — in 2013.
He said he primarily communicated with Raia or Jamie Cryan, who later became West New York’s business administrator. In total, Bluewater Operation wrote more than $20,000 in checks for the campaign.
Captains under the direction of Raia would receive emails from the Hudson County Clerk’s office about who was receiving vote-by-mail ballots upon request. Several emails were sent to Calicchio, Raia, and Michelle Russo, according to former Hudson County Board of Elections employee Brian Cardino, who testified Tuesday.
Russo, who has since passed away, is the mother of current sixth ward Councilman Michael Russo and was the wife of former Mayor Anthony Russo.
Calicchio, who has been involved in the gritty world of Hoboken politics since at least 2005 while he was still in high school, was first contacted by the FBI in the summer of 2017. He began cooperating with authorities in 2018 for a reduced sentence. He has since pleaded guilty to participating in the scheme in connection to the 2013 and 2015 municipal elections in Hoboken.
“I wanted to see the people that I was supporting win, and I was hoping if they won they would give me a job,” Calicchio said.
His testimony has shown a light on operations that sources say has a wide reach in Hoboken.
Calicchio, 29, testified that he also worked the cash-for-votes scheme in the city’s 2015 municipal election for then-candidate Eduardo Gonzalez, who unsuccessfully ran for the Fifth Ward council seat.
Authorities say another council candidate allegedly benefited from the scheme in 2015, although their identity has not yet been disclosed.
Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.
He also told the jury that, while working with the FBI, he was wired up during conversations with Gonzalez, Peter Belfiore, a former council candidate, and current County Freeholder Anthony Romano. The subject of those recordings was not discussed in court on Tuesday, but prosecutors did say those recordings were admitted as evidence.
Defense Attorney Alan L. Zegas tried painting the government’s witnesses as unreliable — and attempted to cast doubt on their motivations.
Calicchio is asking for a reduced sentence for cooperating with the government. He first lied to a grand jury in 2017, which Zegas honed in on.
But Calicchio later said that he "wanted to tell the truth and come clean."
“It was the right thing to do,” he added.
https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/06/jersey-city-man-pleads-guilty-to-food-stamp-fraud-in-connecticut.html
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