Hoboken politico Raia to be resentenced for VBM fraud after U.S. Attorney’s Office wins appeal

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Hoboken politico Frank “Pupie” Raia will be resentenced for committing vote-by-mail fraud in connection to the 2013 municipal elections after the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed his 90-day sentence and $50,000 fine from December 2019.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“The District Court committed multiple errors in the calculation of the Guidelines offense level that normally warrant a remand for resentencing. Yet Raia submits that any errors committed by the District Court are harmless in light of the three-month sentence imposed,” U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith wrote yesterday.

“In other words, the Guidelines did not inform the District Court’s sentence at all because the Court deemed them to be too punitive.”

U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martini submitted a lenient sentence at the end of 2019 due to lingering health issues, as well as roughly 140 letters submitted to the court speaking of Raia’s contributions to the community.

He faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, still led by Craig Carpenito at the time, appealed that sentenced a month later, as HCV first reported.

Raia began his sentence at the FCI Fairton medium security federal correctional facility at the beginning of March 2020, but Martini granted him an early release due to COVID-19 concerns, allowing him to serve roughly three weeks of his sentence on house arrest.

While Raia, through defense counsel Alan Zegas, argued that his compassionate release was an indicator he’d receive the same sentence on remand, the court of appeals disagreed.

” … The question before the Court on the compassionate release motion—i.e, whether Raia’s sentence should be reduced because of extraordinary and compelling reasons—did not go to the reasons that Raia was sentenced in the first place,” the decision says.

” … The District Court made multiple errors in its interpretation of the Guidelines that affect the calculation of Raia’s offense level. Raia has not met his heavy burden to show that these errors are harmless. We will vacate Raia’s sentence and remand to the Court for resentencing.”

Zegas could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday evening.


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12 COMMENTS

  1. Will Pupie (D) get a pardon and the Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris?
    He’s been a hero against the racist voter suppression.

    Ravi Bhalla is burning up the phone lines telling Biden how Pupie is a hero and “asset to Hoboken?”

      • That one really hit too close to home. Without the Raia’s around the US, Election Theft 2020 never happens. Why should Pupie go back to prison when Democrats endorse election fraud across the country and are trying to make it the law of the land?

    • I’m curious why you refer to Dawn Zimmer as Dawn Zimmerman when you are well aware of her correct name. The only two explanations I can think of are that it’s a dimwitted attempt to cloak your identity or an anti semitic attempt to make her name sound more Jewish. If it’s the former (as I suspect is the case) the only thing you’re accomplishing is cementing your status as a small minded dimwit. If it’s the latter, I have to admit to being surprised. Being dimwitted and nasty is par for the course. Also being anti-Semitic would be unexpected.

    • Will Mikey DeFusso be looking for another $10K political contribution from his very rich developer buddy if he runs for mayor again ? He had to give it away last time when charge went public.

  2. Nice try with race and religion baiting!
    Stop trying to make this about religion. Nobody has to change your wife’s name to let everyone know she’s Jewish.
    Zimmer and Zimmerman are German in origin. German for Room and Carpenter respectively.
    Maybe you should start retracing your steps with the terror flyer. Ring Ring…

  3. Dimwit – you do know that linking to that dumb Raia video is the functional equivalent of signing your name don’t you? Or are you too dimwitted to understand even that?

    Your post makes it clear I was wrong about the anti-Semitic explanation being the less likely one, and that genuinely saddens me.

    A word to the wise for old times sake. When posting false and defamatory stuff about the “terror flier” or anything else, it’s better not to identify yourself with signature posts like the Raia video.

    You have nothing to fear from me on the litigation front, despite it being pretty low hanging fruit (false accusations of involvement in a crime is defamation per se). I find your obsessive dimwittedness entertaining, and you should feel free to guess at my identity and falsely accuse me of whatever you’d like without fear of legal consequences. My only response will be to continue to laugh at what a caracature of a troll you’ve become.

    But some day you might cross the line with someone who finds you less entertaining and as you know, that could turn out to be a very expensive mistake.

  4. Was wondering how long it would take for that video clip to pop up. Cute.

    Also cute was when the Real Reformers’ favorite BFFs/tokens in the Walker family all showed up on Pupie’s lists showing they voted for Timmy while getting paid by the Lenz campaign back in the oh so special special. Presumably they all got paid by both sides, but only voted for one… and it wasn’t the “Real Reformers”!

    Don’t be soar over it, though, Real Reformers — eventually you just gotta learn, you can’t out-Pupie the Pupie!

    • All the ex Hoboken residents, HHA Commissioners, ex Planning Board screw ups, Paid Spokespeople and out of towners Zimmertini are still chiming in on this site?
      Okay we can’t call you carpet baggers or else Lindalou will cry anti-semitism – but you’re all Carpet baggers…
      Zimmer the Mayor that came and went.

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