In connection to 2015 council races, 4th Hoboken resident charged with VBM fraud

By
John Heinis
-
23

A fourth Hoboken resident has been charged with vote-by-mail fraud, the first person to be charged in connection to the 2015 city council races, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. 

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

William Rojas, 68, is charged with a violation of the federal Travel Act for causing the mails to be used in aid of voter bribery contrary to New Jersey state law, Carpenito said in a statement.

He is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.

Under New Jersey law, registered voters are permitted to cast a ballot by mail, rather than in person.

To receive a mail-in ballot, voters must complete and submit to their county clerk’s office an Application for Vote by Mail Ballot (VBM application). After the application is processed by the county clerk’s office, voters receive a mail-in ballot.

From September 2015 through November 2015, Rojas allegedly agreed to pay certain Hoboken voters $50 if those voters applied for and cast mail-in ballots for the November 2015 Hoboken municipal election.

Rojas provided these voters with VBM Applications, told the voters that they would get paid $50 for casting mail-in ballots, and then delivered the completed VBM applications to the Hudson County Clerk’s office, authorities said.

According to the criminal complaint, after the mail-in ballots were delivered to the voters, Rojas went to the voters’ residences to collect the mail-in ballots and mailed the completed mail-in ballots to the Hudson County Clerk’s Office.

After the election, Rojas delivered checks to these voters. Bank records show that voters living in Hoboken received $50 checks from an entity associated with the campaign that employed Rojas, officials said.

Lizaida Camis, Dio Braxton and a longtime staple of the Mile Square City political scene, Frank Raia, have all previously been charged with vote-by-mail fraud in connection to the 2013 mayoral race.

As HCV first reported in September, Raia was the chairman of a political action committee, Let the People Decide. that aimed to loosen the city’s rent control laws.

While his criminal complaint did not mention Led the People Decide by name, it alleges that “the PAC, at Raia’s direction, paid a company (“Entity l”) to print checks for voters.”

According to a report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission on November 24th, 2014, Rojas was paid $50 by Let the People Decide on November 4th, 2014 – almost a full year prior to Hoboken’s ward council races.

Rojas faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.


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23 COMMENTS

  1. The interesting question here is which campaign employed Rojas, and what was the “entity” that paid the voters.

    In 2015, most of the “worker/VBM” activity was “handled” through Mike Russo’s 3rd ward campaign committee even though he was running unapposed and the “worker/voters” were all in the 4th and 5th wards.

    This could get really interesting. I’m sure the feds would want to know why Russo’s committee paid a guy to pay people to vote for Ruben Ramos, if that’s where the trail leads.

  2. A quick check didn’t show any payment to Mr. Rojas by Mike Russo’s campaign – so my apologies to Mr. Russo – it appears that the trail for this particular VBM crime does not lead to his doorstep.

    The criminal charge refers to the payment being made by an unnamed PAC rather than a candidate committee making the trail harder to follow

  3. “Bank records show that voters living in Hoboken received $50 checks from an entity associated with the campaign that employed Rojas”

    why not tell us which campaign?

  5. Hire Shadowstan strategies LLC. They are experts in dealing with fallout from Vote by Mail fraud, wrongful termination lawsuits, email scandals, defraying utility bills and even doling out severance to friends who resigned but still on payroll.
    Here’s a sample from their demo reel: https://youtu.be/pUqkH_2AgmE

    Contact Linda Lou CEO or VJ FPC ( Face Puncher in Chief )
    Stop by their headquarters in the lobby of the W on thursday mornings. or visit their website http://www.sybilscave.slime to see their “Signature” style

  6. I remember when Frank Raia was “working it” for the Zimmer campaign back in 2007. Was he using the same tactics back then that got him indicted for his 2013 campaign illegalities? Things that make you go hmmm.

    Zimmer’s tarnished legacy gets more tarnished with every news cycle.

    • Wasn’t Frank Raia was working on Michael DeFusco’s campaign to be mayor.
      Sketchy Mike don’t like to talk about that now and we all know Mike loves to talk and talk and talk and talk

  8. More of the same sad old horse manure with an added telling touch of anti-semitism.

    Not eleven years ago but the last election (9/17/2017) nj.com wrote this:

    “Those backing DeFusco are also named Perry Belfiore, Frank “Pupie” Raia, and former Assemblyman Ruben Ramos and others who make up Old Hoboken and Administrations.”

    • Michael DeFusco not ten years ago but last year had Frank Raia working hard and giving cash to try to get him elected mayor. Thankfully they did not succeed. His supporters like his support hate blog are try to deflect but end up making look like he is even more unethical.

      Like OJ when he says things like it wasn’t me putting that racist flyer under windshields people are thinking, sure you didn’t kid.

  10. Thank you for the trip down memory lane with that old video, though posting it 3 times in the same thread is a bit excessive.

    It certainly brought back memories of the scumbag hangers on who attached themselves to Zimmer’s first campaign like leeches hoping to use her to become relevent again. IMHO Raia was certainly one of those leeches. Tony Soares was in my opinion another and there were one or two more.

    Over time Zimmer recognized each of the hangers on for the power hungry unethical opportunist creeps that they (IMHO) were and jetisoned the whole bunch.

    One of the worst of the crew, as far as I’m concerned was Soares because people like Raia never successfully tricked people into believing they were true believers in good government. Soares sucked people in who bought his reformer act, but since Zimmer started blocking his number he reportedly has supported Cammarano, Ramos and then DeFusco.

    At least he’s found his idealogical comfort zone. He certainly fits in better with people who lack any semblance of an ethical compass and who will say or do anything that they think will help their careers than he did with a true good government type like Zimmer.

    • Lind Lou
      I have had many conversations with Dawn Zimmer since that time.
      You can say what you want but it was me who’s “blocked phone number ” she called when she was looking for a campaign headquarters for her last Mayoral race.
      One rare storefront that I was able to get for her team when it was already rented, but the future tenant was awaiting zoning approval. The landlord a friend was happy to do it for me.
      My firm was also was paid $1,000, 1/3rd the advertised monthly rent. Since I dont own the firm I had to charge.
      That same year I recall donating 800.00 to her race.
      That’s not sucking, being a leech or being blocked.
      Speculated all you want, I have not written those above posts. Much like a certain SLAPP suit plaintiff who thought every post on the WWW was mine, he quickly learned I was not a single one of his defendants. Not 1.
      Dawn has reached out to me several times since 2007.
      I received the honor of being called a reformer and despite whatever you write, believe or try to make people believe, a title that led Dawn to ask me to introduce her to many 4th ward residents. More than she knew at the time.

      I never supported Peter Cammarano. It’s interesting that you make these claims long after most people have moved on from the halcyon days of united reform winning elections.

      Honestly, it’s time for all of us to move on and please stop using my name when I have no part in this discussion.

      To back up my facts here’s a little email from Dawn after my 2016 pedestrian accident

      “Tony,

      I am very sorry to hear about your accident. I hope your surgery goes well and the physical therapy is not too difficult. It is unfortunately time consuming but in my experience does seem to make a big difference. Hope you feel better!

      Take care.

      Dawn”

      Thanks
      Tony Soares

      • * A long winded response found, written and posted in just thirty one minutes.

        * Tony Soares was part of Peter Cammarano’s “we will grind into powder those who were against us” transition team.

        * The 2016 email posted only proves that Dawn is a compassionate person.

      • Many people, especially those with long checkered histories in the public domain, see themselves differently than others see them. President Trump certainly does. Sometimes the characterizations are unfair -sometimes the individual compaining needs a new mirror. I think the President needs a new mirror. Perhaps you need one as well. Perhaps I also need one, after all the narcisist is the last to know.

        I’m glad to hear you are not the source of any of the doofy posts on this site or others. After all, the fine honorable man you see in the mirror would never lie about his blogging would he? After all, the people writing the doofy posts are doofuses, and you are not a doofus . You’re a reform icon!

        • Careful there Linda, a checkered past usually is insinuatinating someone has committed illegal offenses and crimes. Haven’t you been caught up in enough already? Hard to believe any one who your age would act like a child. You spend day and night online. Maybe you should start a blog? Oh, wait, you already have one.

          • I guess I was wrong. You can be both a reform icon and a doofus! Though of course X-ing is not you because part of being a doofus is making doofy litigation threats while claiming you’re not the doofus making them.

            You’ve had quite a sad destructive journey. From “reform icon” to doofus laughing stock.

          • The day you actually try to make good on your hilarious litigation threats will become a literal holiday in Hoboken, when a line as long as Carlo’s at their peak will form to add to the discovery list and confirm all the screen names you’ve used to viciously attack and possibly defame people and to ask you about other activities many people would love to have on the record under oath.

            Until that day, though, you’re nothing but a dish-it-out-but-can’t-take-it COWARD.

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