Solomon Dwek to testify against Jersey City official in corruption trial
The government informant at the center’s of the state’s largest every FBI sting could testify as early as today in the corruption trial of a Jersey City deputy mayor.
Leona Beldini, a 74-year-old Democrat, was charged along with scores of others in last year’s epic money-laundering and corruption probe that led to the resignations of three mayors, two state assemblymen and one member of former Gov. Jon Corzine’s cabinet.
The case hinged largely on the work of Solomon Dwek, a failed Monmouth County developer-turned undercover informant who began cooperating with the FBI after being charged with a $50 million bank fraud in 2006.
He spent more than two years wearing a wire, recording hundreds of conversations with defendants in steak houses, luncheonettes and boiler rooms.His performance on the witness stand is likely to be closely followed by lawyers for other defendants in the case to determine if the one-time rabbinical student will be as effective in front of a jury as he was wearing a wire.
Beldini’s lawyer, Brian J. Neary, warned jurors during his opening arguments Wednesday to be leery of Dwek, who was caught running a massive Ponzi scheme before agreeing to cooperate with authorities.
Thomas R. Calcagni, an assistant U.S. attorney, urged jurors to focus on the recordings Dwek made that authorities say show Beldini agreeing to accept $20,000 from Dwek. In exchange, Beldini said she would help the informant secure building permits for a luxury condominium building, according to a six-count indictment.
Her trial is expected to last about three weeks. If convicted, she faces up t0 20 years in prison.
Leona Beldini, a 74-year-old Democrat, was charged along with scores of others in last year’s epic money-laundering and corruption probe that led to the resignations of three mayors, two state assemblymen and one member of former Gov. Jon Corzine’s cabinet.
The case hinged largely on the work of Solomon Dwek, a failed Monmouth County developer-turned undercover informant who began cooperating with the FBI after being charged with a $50 million bank fraud in 2006.
He spent more than two years wearing a wire, recording hundreds of conversations with defendants in steak houses, luncheonettes and boiler rooms.His performance on the witness stand is likely to be closely followed by lawyers for other defendants in the case to determine if the one-time rabbinical student will be as effective in front of a jury as he was wearing a wire.
Beldini’s lawyer, Brian J. Neary, warned jurors during his opening arguments Wednesday to be leery of Dwek, who was caught running a massive Ponzi scheme before agreeing to cooperate with authorities.
Thomas R. Calcagni, an assistant U.S. attorney, urged jurors to focus on the recordings Dwek made that authorities say show Beldini agreeing to accept $20,000 from Dwek. In exchange, Beldini said she would help the informant secure building permits for a luxury condominium building, according to a six-count indictment.
Her trial is expected to last about three weeks. If convicted, she faces up t0 20 years in prison.
Star Ledger
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