Former Hoboken Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia has received yet another continuance, his fifth since 2023, in his ongoing Newark bribery case.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The continuance, granted by U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Cox Arleo yesterday, says that the move was made “to permit defense counsel the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation in this matter and to allow the parties to continue plea negotiations.”
According to federal court documents, this is the 19th continuance granted since he was charged by complaint in November 2020, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest runs through April 1st.
Garcia, who was also the former director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development, was initially accused by federal prosecutors of soliciting corrupt payments in exchange for helping businessmen acquire and redevelop properties.
He was indicted 11 months later, charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the city of Newark and the NCEDC of Garcia’s honest services facilitated by the use of interstate wire transmissions; 17 counts of honest services wire fraud; and four counts of use of interstate facilities to promote and facilitate bribery in violation of the Travel Act.
Two Newark businessmen face the same charges, while Garcia is also accused of three counts of receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization.
He pleaded not guilty in November 2021 and has since participated in motivational speaker gigs, as only HCV reported.
Garcia is being represented by Robert G. Stahl and Laura K. Gasiorowski, of Stahl Criminal Defense Lawyers, with offices in Westfield and New York City.
A former housing authority executive director in Hoboken and Irvington, Garcia served a two-year term as a state assemblyman between 2014 and 2015 after running on the Hudson County Democratic Organization line in 2013.
He choose not to seek re-election off the line and instead unsuccessfully sought the Hoboken 6th Ward council seat in November 2015.
How much longer can plea negotiations go?
This guy. Hope the delay is to actually allow time for others to rat him out.