Joseph Anthony Amari potentially could face a 20-year sentence, under federal guidelines, when he is sentenced on May 13 by U.S. District Judge
Katharine S. Hayden in Newark.
It’s likely to be far less.
But the five-year minimum is guaranteed — and because it’s federal prison, he’ll have to serve just about all of it.
Amari, a widower, already is in state prison for a pair of child endangerment convictions.
Federal authorities, who originally charged him in 2009, postponed their prosecution until the state charges could be resolved.
Amari admitted that he used peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download images and videos in February 2007 of children being sexually abused.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman credited the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force with the investigation leading to today’s plea, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane H. Yoon and Shirley U. Emehelu of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
He also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Fair Lawn Police Department.
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