Former Hoboken Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia now has his bribery sentencing set for April 28th at 2:30 p.m. at U.S. District Court in Newark, nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to three counts and about five-and-a-half years after he was first charged. 
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The Court, having received a request for adjournment, hereby reschedules the Sentencing date for 4/28/2026 at 2:30 PM in Newark – Courtroom 4A before Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Kindly mark your calendars accordingly,” the court docket in his case says.
Garcia had his sentencing set for March 18th, but the court accepted another request for adjournment due to a death in the family out of state.
Also a former Newark deputy mayor and former executive officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), Garcia’s sentencing has been delayed at least four times after the case after receiving 20 continuances.
In June 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the city of Newark and the NCEDC of Garcia’s honest services, honest services wire fraud, and receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization, as HCV first reported.
From 2017 through April 2019, both while serving as Newark deputy mayor and as an executive officer of the NCEDC (now Invest Newark), Garcia sought and received significant cash and other gifts from Frank Valvano Jr. and Irwin Sablosky – the former board of education president in Springfield – federal prosecutors charged.
Those two and others bribed Garcia to use his official positions and influence within the city of Newark and the NCEDC to advance real estate development matters of interest to Valvano and Sablosky.
Garcia, also former a housing authority executive director in Hoboken and Irvington, was first charged via complaint back in November 2020.
Justice delayed …and delayed …and delayed…
“It ain’t a sprint, baby, it’s a marathon!”
— Someone Who Used to Be Someone
We can, we will, continuance.
Bob Menendez must be wondering what dirt Carmelo has that allows him to escape prison for years!