Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was sentenced to five years in federal prison this afternoon for his convictions related to his acquisition of the Burke Farm in the township.
Lucas will have to forfeit the farm he acquired with funds obtained via loans granted based on fraudulent documents, but will not have to forfeit the $417,000 profit he made by selling the development rights to the property to New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation program.
Lucas, 37, was convicted on September 18, 2014 by a federal jury on all 11 counts of an indictment charging him with wire fraud, an illegal monetary transaction, loan application fraud, false statements to the IRS, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification of records in a federal investigation. Lucas was convicted following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
Following the completion of his time in prison, Lucas will be on probation for three years.
NEWARK — In between variations of ‘no comment,’ U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul J. Fishman made a handful of notable comments during the Friday afternoon Bridgegate press conference. On Friday, former Port Authority director of interstate projects David Wildstein pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy. Indictments were then unsealed against another former Port Authority… Read the rest of this entry »
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman: Based On The Evidence That Is Currently Available To Us, We’re Not Going To Charge Anybody Else In This Scheme
Photo by Paul Scharff
Governor Chris Christie’s Office released the following statement in response to today’s guilty plea by David Wildstein, the indictments of former Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni and Bridget Ann Kelly, Christie’s former Deputy Chief of Staff, as well as U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s press conference:
Governor Christie has said from day one that he had no knowledge or involvement in the planning, motivation, authorization or execution of the decision to realign lanes on the George Washington Bridge. After fifteen months and three independent investigations, including those conducted by a partisan, Democratic-led joint committee and an outside law firm, that conclusion remains unchanged.
The key facts that came to light in the first quarter of 2014 have not changed in any material way, more than a year later. The individuals alleged to be responsible and facing charges today are David Wildstein, Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly, and they were all separated from the Port Authority and the Governor’s Office more than 15 months ago.
Bridget Ann Kelly, texting, with Governor Chris Christie and Michelle Brown at Seaside Park fire, September 12, 2013. Photo credit: Phil Stilton, OCSignal.com
NEWARK — Two key figures in the Bridgegate scandal — Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly — were each indicted on nine counts, according to court documents unsealed Friday. Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff of Gov. Chris… Read the rest of this entry »
Alan Zegas, David Wildstein’s attorney, told the press today that Governor Chris Christie knew of the September 2013 George Washington Bridge Lane closures that have become known as Bridgegate while they were occurring.
“Mr. Christie know of the lane closures while they were occurring. Evidence exists to establish that,” Zegas said.
Christie has steadfastly denied any knowledge of or involvement in the lane closures which Wildstein confessed today were designed as political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich , a Democrat, for refusing to endorse Republican Christie’s reelection.
NEWARK — Former Port Authority executive David Wildstein has pleaded guilty for his role in the closure of local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge. He admitted conspiring with Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly to “punish” Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Gov. Chris Christie in his re-election bid. Wildstein will be… Read the rest of this entry »
There will be a proceeding of interest in a criminal matter related to the George Washington Bridge lane closures this morning at 11 a.m. in federal court in Newark and U. S. Attorney Paul Fishman will hold a press conference on the matter this afternoon at 1 PM, according to Fishman’s Public Information Office.
The U. S. Attorney’s Office did not announce who would be charged today or for what crimes.
NJ.comis reporting that a white SUV left the home of David Wildstein traveling at high speeds at 5 a.m. this morning. Bloomberg reported that Wildstein was to have pleaded guilty to charges yesterday. They later amended their report to say he would enter a guilty plea today.
WASHINGTON — Efforts to protect Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst from cutbacks or closure won approval by a key House committee when lawmakers denied funding to move or retire any of the KC-10 refueling tanker planes based there. The provision, authored by freshmen Reps. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.), whose district includes the joint base, and Donald Norcross (D-1st… Read the rest of this entry »
Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was sentenced to five years in federal prison this afternoon for his convictions related to his acquisition of the Burke Farm in the township.
