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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a man who served as a leader of the 2006
congressional campaign of state Assemblyman
Joseph Vas pleaded guilty today to soliciting
fraudulent campaign contributions.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Raymond Geneske,
73, of Perth Amboy, pleaded guilty before
Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa in
Middlesex County to a third-degree charge
of financial facilitation of criminal activity,
commonly known as money laundering.
In
pleading guilty, Geneske admitted that he
solicited employees of the City of Perth Amboy
and others to make fraudulent contributions
to Vas’ 2006 campaign for the U.S. House
of Representatives for the 13th Congressional
District. At the time, Geneske was chairman
of the Perth Amboy Democratic Committee and
was a key advisor to the Vas campaign. Geneske
admitted that he paid cash to the people he
solicited to reimburse them for writing personal
checks payable to “Vas for Congress.”
Geneske
said he was given a total of $30,000 in cash,
and distributed $25,000 or more through payments
to straw contributors. He said that, under
Vas’ direction, he distributed the remaining
$4,000 to $5,000 for get out the vote efforts
for the campaign. Geneske is guilty of money
laundering because he knew or should have
known the money was derived from criminal
activity, and by structuring funds into the
campaign through people who falsely appeared
to be making personal contributions, he avoided
a transaction reporting requirement under
the federal election campaign laws.
“This
guilty plea represents a significant step
forward in our prosecution of this corruption
case, which involves a fraudulent scheme to
illicitly pump cash into Vas’ congressional
campaign while concealing the source of the
money,” said Attorney General Milgram.
The
state will recommend that Geneske be sentenced
to a term of probation. He is scheduled to
be sentenced on Sept. 14.
On
May 21, Vas, 54, the former mayor of Perth
Amboy, and his longtime aide Melvin Ramos,
53, were indicted on numerous charges, including
charges related to the fraudulent campaign
contributions. In connection with that scheme,
they were charged with conspiracy and official
misconduct, both in the second degree, and
third-degree money laundering. They allegedly
requested city employees to solicit campaign
contributions during work hours, solicited
city employees and others during work hours,
and used city facilities and property for
campaign activities.
A
press release about the May 21 indictment
and a copy of the indictment are posted on
the Attorney General’s Web page at www.njpublicsafety.com.
The indictment is merely an accusation and
the defendants are presumed innocent until
proven guilty.
The
charges stem from an investigation by the
Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.
Assistant Attorney General Lewis Korngut and
Deputy Attorney General Dianne C. DiGiamber
Deal are prosecuting the case. Deputy Attorney
General Deal took today’s guilty plea.
The
investigation was led by Sgt. Dino Dettorre
and Detective Benjamin Kukis, assisted by
Lt. Daniel O'Brien, Sgt. Robert McGrath, Detective
Lee Bailey, Detective Melissa Calkin, Detective
Lisa Cawley, Detective Shaun Egan, Detective
Kiersten Pentony, Detective Robert Stemmer
and Civil Investigator Joseph Salvatore
Attorney
General Milgram and Director Gramiccioni noted
that the Division of Criminal Justice - Corruption
Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption
Tipline for the public to report corruption,
financial crime and other illegal activities.
The statewide Corruption Tipline is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Additionally, the public can log on to the
Division of Criminal Justice Web page at www.njdcj.org
to report suspected wrongdoing. All information
received through the Division of Criminal
Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will
remain confidential.
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