Three former Monmouth County officials sentenced to prison
A federal judge sentenced three former public officials from Monmouth County to prison on corruption charges today, saying the FBI sting that brought them and dozens of others down showed "the arrogance of power permeated through" the region's political community. The three hearings before U.S. District Judge William Martini were the first in a wave to come this week stemming from Operation Bid Rig, a two-year FBI probe in Monmouth County that resulted in charges against 48 people, about half of them public officials. Many of the officials, including those sentenced today, took cash from an FBI informant posing as a crooked contractor.

Hackett pleads not guilty to federal corruption charges
Orange Mayor Mims Hackett this morning pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, becoming the first of 11 public officials snared in an FBI sting last month to do so. Hackett's arraignment before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark came just a few days after former Assemblyman Alfred Steele became the first of the group to plead guilty. Hackett and Steele served in the Assembly together, but both stepped down after their arrests.

Probe disrupts housing repairs
Fuqua family members thought they were getting a sweet deal when they received federal grants to rehabilitate their New Brunswick home. To them, it meant a new kitchen, a working bathroom, stairs that didn't threaten to crumble below their feet and a roof that wouldn't leak every time it rained. But a year after receiving $23,000 in grants, their Seaman Street home is still in disrepair.  "It was a great program the government had for poor people to beautify their homes," said 45-year-old Alfonso Fuqua. "Now look what has happened because of crooks." 

Hackett quits Legislature in wake of corruption charges
One day after being arrested in a federal corruption sting and hours after the state's top Democratic leaders called for him to step down, State Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr. said he will give up his legislative post immediately...Hackett and Steele were arrested Thursday along with nine other officials at various levels of government on charges of taking bribes for public contracts. Corzine said they should all resign from all public offices.

Former Ocean Twp. mayor gets nearly 5 years in jail
Saying too many New Jersey politicians seem to be "hellbent on corruption," a federal judge today took the unusual step of rejecting federal prosecutors' pleas for leniency and sentenced the former mayor of Ocean Township to nearly five years in prison. Terrance Weldon, 59, managed to stay out of prison since pleading guilty to corruption charges nearly five years ago by cooperating with federal prosecutors against his accountant, a local official, a developer and an engineer.

Linden official arrested on bribery charges
A Linden city building inspector was arrested today on charges he accepted $10,500 in bribes from a building contractor in exchange for favorable inspections and fast-tracked permits, authorities said. Matthew Valvano, 49, of Linden, took the cash in his city hall office and at the contractor's construction site during four meetings secretly recorded by the FBI, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal district court in Newark. "You wash my hands, I"ll wash yours," Valvano told the contractor during one encounter, according to authorities.

Keansburg home-improvement contractor sued by the state
A Keansburg-based home-improvement contractor has been sued by New Jersey for allegedly operating without being registered and failing to complete projects after being paid by home owners, state authorities said today. The Shademaster, which does also does business as Renovation Experts, and its owner, Carmine Annunziata, were sued in Superior Court in Monmouth County. The lawsuit says the company violated the state's Consumer Fraud Act.

Marlboro builders get court go-ahead
FREEHOLD — A state Superior Court judge Thursday ordered Marlboro Mayor Robert Kleinberg to sign paperwork needed to start construction on a senior citizen housing project by developers Steve and Bernard Meiterman, despite continued arguments from Marlboro officials that the brothers will soon be indicted for corrupt practices. The Meitermans' office in Freehold was raided by FBI and IRS agents in March. Bayer said that in the last month alone, the FBI has requested specific documents relating to Meiterman developments "no less than seven times," and that FBI agents were in Town Hall Thursday going through records pertaining to the Meitermans.

Builder's bankruptcy leaves new residents in lurch
David Jarashow will be the first to tell you, half in good humor and half out of frustration, that he is cursed. Two years ago, he lived in Marlboro Summit, a 70-unit development on Tennent Road where entire backyards would become lagoons whenever it rained. In June, hoping to escape that scenario, and with dreams of living in a bigger house with a bigger — and dry — yard, he moved into his new $1 million home in Crine West.