Former Bergen Democratic Chief Ferriero Gets Three Years For Kickbacks

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The former chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO), was sentenced Friday to 35 months in prison for his role in a racketeering scheme involving fraud and soliciting and accepting bribes as a party official.

Outside the Martin Luther King U.S. District Courthouse in Newark
Photo Credit: *CLIFFVIEW PILOT*

Jerry DeMarco

12/04/2015 5:30 p.m.

Federal jurors deliberated four days before convicting Joseph A. Ferriero, 58, in April 2015 following an eight-week trial in U.S. District Court in Newark.

“The sentence handed down today to Joseph Ferriero is the final result of his running a local political organization as a criminal enterprise,” U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. “He used his power and position to enrich himself through a racketeering operation fueled by influence peddling, bribes and kickbacks."

“Today’s sentencing of Joseph A. Ferriero reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to combat public corruption in New Jersey and serves as a reminder that those individuals who violate the public’s trust will be held accountable,” said Richard M. Frankel, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Division.

Ferriero — who served as BCDO chairman from 1998 until January 2009 – was the sole member of SJC Consulting LLC.

Jurors found that Ferriero accepted bribes in his capacity as BCDO chairman in the course of a scheme involving SJC.

"Ferriero agreed with John Carrino, a Nutley, New Jersey-based attorney and software developer, that Ferriero would recommend and provide a favorable opinion of the software developer and his companies to various public officials in Bergen County with whom Ferriero had influence," Fishman said.

"The software developer agreed to pay Ferriero one-quarter to one-third of the gross receipts from any contract obtained as a result of Ferriero’s efforts," he said.

"Ferriero’s financial interest in the software developer’s public contracts was completely hidden using two shell companies, one of which was created and incorporated in Nevada for the sole purpose of contracting with and accepting payments from another shell company controlled by the software developer," Fishman said.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Esther B. Salas sentenced Ferriero to three years of supervised release, ordered him to pay restitution of $11,875 and entered an order of forfeiture for $11,875.

Fishman credited FBI agents with the investigation leading to the sentencing. Counsel to the U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Llanes of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark prosecuted Ferriero.

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