New Brunswick NJ Criminal Defense Law Blog

Over $12,000 in alleged bribes are at the heart of an ongoing case against the mayor of Hamilton, New Jersey. John Bencivengo gave himself up to agents of the FBI on April 26 and is now embroiled in a hard-hitting federal corruption investigation stemming from the alleged bribery. The criminal matter involved is attempted extortion, a crime for which penalties can be years in prison.

Bencivengo himself may face up to two decades behind bars for allegedly taking kickbacks for a health insurance contract. A U.S. attorney on the case asserts Bencivengo's involvement in a form of white-collar crime, asserting undue influence over the Hamilton Board of Education.

A sentence of up to 15 years may await a Nigerian man who was arrested in New Jersey last month by the Passaic County Prosecutor's White Collar Crime Unit. The foreigner allegedly used fraudulent documents to apply for a passport in a Clifton post office.

Unlike high-profile white collar crime cases, the Nigerian man is not being charged with illegal investments, money laundering, extortion, insider trading or other common nonviolent financial crimes. Instead, he faces charges of exhibiting fraudulent government documents and impersonation.

The unofficial criminal penalties for minor offenses may now include invasive searches by corrections officers, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision in the case of a New Jersey man that will interest people who may require a criminal defense attorney, members of the highest court in the country emphasized security concerns over issues of privacy.

More than seven years ago, the man and his child were riding as passengers in the man's car. His wife was behind the wheel. A state trooper pulled the car over, and while checking the occupants' records, discovered that the husband and father had an outstanding warrant.

A New Jersey college student who secretly videotaped his roommate's sexual encounters with a same-sex partner was convicted of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation earlier this month. The sentencing will occur in late May, but the former student could face criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison as a consequence of his crimes.

In 2010, the Rutgers University freshman used a webcam to view the sexual activities of his roommate and a 30-year-old man. The student invited others via text messaging and Twitter to watch the video. According to his own social media updates, the defendant wrote sarcastic remarks about his roommate's sexual orientation before telling those in his social network to tune in. The roommate jumped off a bridge to his death shortly thereafter, although prosecutors did not charge the defendant in direct relation to the suicide.