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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that Roselle Borough Council President Jamel
Holley was charged today by accusation with
illegally filling out a portion of the absentee
ballots of voters in the 2006 Democratic primary
for Borough Council.
According
to Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni,
Holley, 29, of Roselle, was charged by accusation
with violating the state’s absentee
voting law, a third-degree crime. Holley waived
his right to be indicted by a grand jury and
agreed to be charged by accusation. The accusation
was entered before Superior Court Judge Robert
Billmeier in Mercer County.
The
accusation charges that Holley tampered with
absentee ballots by completing portions of
the absentee ballots of at least 20 voters,
contrary to the absentee voting law, which
seeks to ensure the secrecy of balloting and
prevent any improper influencing of voters.
The charge is the result of an investigation
by the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption
Bureau.
Holley
campaigned for candidate Rosemarie Bullock.
His support included registering voters and
encouraging them to vote by absentee ballot.
The investigation revealed that Holley contacted
prospective voters to see if they had received
their absentee ballots. If they had, Holley
went to their homes and allegedly illegally
assisted them in completing the ballots.
An
absentee ballot includes (1) the ballot itself,
on which votes are recorded, (2) an inner
envelope, and (3) an outer envelope addressed
to the county election office. The inner envelope
has a certification that must be signed by
the voter and requires the voter to fill in
personal information and verify that the ballot
was filled out secretly. Holley allegedly
filled out the inner envelopes of a number
of ballots, which is prohibited by law. A
number of these ballots were later thrown
out by the Appellate Division of New Jersey
Superior Court.
Deputy
Attorney General Erik Daab filed the accusation
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau. The investigation was led by Detective
Sgt. John R. Pizzuro of the State Police Official
Corruption Bureau.
Third-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years
in prison and a $15,000 fine. If convicted,
Holley would be required to forfeit his position
as a borough councilman. The charge is merely
an accusation and the defendant is presumed
innocent until proven guilty.
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