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Trenton,
NJ – Attorney General Anne Milgram
today announced the appointment of John
Vazquez as the new first assistant attorney
general. Vazquez, a former federal prosecutor,
has been a special assistant to the Attorney
General on criminal justice matters for
the last eight months.
“John Vazquez is eminently qualified
for the number two post in the Department
of Law and Public Safety,’’
Attorney General Milgram said. “He
has the experience, leadership and commitment
to public service to fulfill our department’s
mission to protect the safety and security
of the people of New Jersey.”
“I am honored that General Milgram
has asked me to step into the post she held
for the last 17 months,’’ Vazquez
said. “I pledge continued focus on
our department’s top priorities –
attacking street gangs and rooting out public
corruption.’’
Before joining the Department of Law and
Public Safety in October as a special assistant
to former Attorney General Stuart Rabner,
Vazquez, 37, was the health care fraud coordinator
in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark,
overseeing criminal investigations and prosecutions
in that area.
He worked on the investigation into UMDNJ
that resulted in a deferred prosecution
agreement, and also worked on a matter involving
the St. Barnabas Health Care System, which
resulted in a civil agreement to repay more
than $250 million to the federal government’s
Medicare program.
Vazquez served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark
for five years, from September 2001 to October
2006. He worked in the terrorism unit and
major narcotics unit of the criminal division
for three years before being assigned to
the securities and health care fraud unit.
As
a special assistant to Rabner, Vazquez worked
closely with Criminal Justice Division Director
Gregory Paw on investigations and prosecutions
into political corruption, Medicaid fraud,
securities fraud and other white collar
offenses.
Vazquez received a bachelor’s degree
in political science and history from Rutgers
College in 1992, and graduated summa cum
laude from Seton Hall University School
of Law in 1996. He clerked for Judge Herman
D. Michaels, the presiding judge of the
New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division,
from September 1996 to August 1997, and
was an associate in the law offices of Michael
Critchley & Associates in West Orange
from September 1997 until September 2001.
Vazquez lives in Boonton with his wife and
two children.
As the number two person in the Department
of Law and Public Safety, the first assistant
attorney general coordinates policies, operations
and investigations in the 9,500-person department.
The first assistant also oversees day-to-day
operations of the divisions within the department,
including the Divisions of Criminal Justice,
Law, State Police, Consumer Affairs, Civil
Rights, Elections, Alcoholic Beverage Control,
Highway Traffic Safety, Gaming Enforcement,
the Juvenile Justice Commission, and the
Racing Commission.
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