Democrat Party executive pleads guilty to bribery charges

The executive director of the Ocean County, New Jersey Democratic Party pleaded guilty in federal court last Thursday, admitting that he accepted two corrupt cash payments from a cooperating government witness in exchange for a promise to make introductions to public officials who might assist the cooperating witness with development interests, according to a report from U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman in Trenton, NJ.

Alfonso L. Santoro, 70, of Beachwood, NJ pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Joel Pisano to  one-count of violation of the federal Travel Act. Judge Pisano released the defendant on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 1, 2010.

Santoro had not been previously charged, and Thursday was his first appearance in court. His guilty plea comes as part of the same investigation that resulted in bribery and money laundering charges against 44 suspects -- including three New Jersey mayors -- last July 23.

During his plea hearing, Santoro admitted that on May 18, 2008 he accepted a $5,000 corrupt cash payment from a government cooperating witness (“CW”) at a Toms River restaurant. Santoro said the payment was in exchange for his anticipated assistance in facilitating introductions and corrupt payments to public officials in Ocean County who could purportedly exercise their influence in favor of the CW’s real estate development interests.

Santoro admitted that, during a phone call on July 17, 2008, he arranged for the CW to meet with a political party official (“the Individual”) who Santoro said could assist the CW in obtaining certain development approvals on a property located in the Waretown section of Ocean Township.

Santoro admitted that he accepted an additional $1,500 cash payment from the CW on August 10, 2008, in Atlantic City. During this meeting, Santoro informed the CW that he would arrange for the CW to meet an elected official who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and could assist the CW in obtaining development approvals.

The charge to which Santoro pleaded guilty -- using interstate facilities (a cell phone) in furtherance of a bribery scheme -- carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In determining an actual sentence, Judge Pisano will consult the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors, including acceptance of responsibility. The judge has wide discretion and is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence. Parole has been abolished in the federal criminal justice system.