Two more Jersey City cops plead guilty in federal court in Newark, one had quite the excuse

Sadly, two more Jersey City police officers pled guilty to the stand around jobs that have cost, and will cost so many JCPD officers their jobs and further run our good name through the mud. Today it was Ehab Abdelaziz and Andrea Fahrenholz's turn to admit to their part in the scheme that involved not paying taxes or reporting their stand around work to the city, as required. While that what wheel keeps turning one thing DID stand out to Johnny today; the attorney's statements to the media on behalf of their clients. Fahrenholz's attorney said this:

Aidan O'Connor, told The Jersey Journal, "Andrea has taken responsibility (for what) she did. She agreed to forfeit the money to the government and she hopes to move forward in a productive and responsible way."

OK, that's a fair accounting and a hope to move on from this. Proper.

Abdelaziz's attorney, Anthony J. Iacullo, went a different route, one right into the Dark Crystal, now comes the witches and newts excuse:

"Officer Abdelaziz was a hard working police officer who got caught up in a scheme that was created by others and unfortunately tempted even those officers who were not looking for no-show jobs. His desire to provide a better life for him and his family resulted in his deciding to partake in such conduct and that is something he regrets tremendously."

Created by others, perhaps dark lords or witches. Tempted, yes, tempted by those bad others. BAD others. He wasn't looking for this sort of lawbreaking, he was lured by Satan. His family, think of his family at this time of the guilty plea. THEY didn't do anything. Kee-rist, what nonsense.

There's a right way to handle serious matters in life, we all make mistakes but do realize there's also a right and wrong way to cop to it.

Guess what happened in Newark Federal Court today -- Go on, guess

A Jersey City police officer admitted today in federal court to taking more than $5,000 in payments for work he never performed, marking the seventh officer to plead guilty to conspiracy or bribery charges relating to the department's off-duty jobs program.

David W. Ortmann, a 28-year veteran with the department, admitted to conspiring with another officer, only identified as the West District pick coordinator, to submit vouchers for work that was not completed.

Right? Just because it happens almost weekly or this week, daily should be done surprising us, the JCPD have a long history of letting the residents of this city down (cue the Carmine Disbrow sniveling hour) over the last few years, this is yet but another black eye. A D+ force in a B+ city, the JCPD.

The parade of JCPD bad actors continues through the court system

Yet another bad actor for the JCPD had his sorry ass marched through federal court in Newark over not paying taxes or reporting these stand around construction site jobs Johnny has warned were a bad idea since forever. Today it was Michael O'Leary Jr.'s turn to plead guilty in the scam as he bribed another police officer $40,000 so he could get paid for work he did not perform, becoming the sixth man to plead guilty in a wide-ranging bribery scheme involving off-duty jobs for the city's police force.

It's at this point Johnny usually reminds the Jersey City residents and taxpayers that superiors actually pulled cops off of active duty, you know, patrolling for bad guys and scofflaws, to position them to stand around buildings being built and play Angry Birds on their iPhones. You'll get used to these cutaways as there are plenty more of these cases to come.

Terrence T. McDonald has more and exactly how the program is supposed to work:
During a roughly 35-minute hearing this afternoon inside a federal courthouse in Newark, O'Leary admitted he gave $39,587 to an unidentified co-conspirator in exchange for the co-conspirator handing phony pay vouchers to the city that indicated O'Leary worked off-duty jobs that he had not.

In Jersey City, companies that wish to hire off-duty police officers for security or traffic management must go through the city, which collects an administrative fee. Each of the city's four police precincts has a job coordinator who assigns the work and approves pay vouchers.

And for what? For a little bit of money? There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that?

Third Jersey City cop pleads guilty for being on the take over stand around jobs

Sure we do discuss this failure of a program fairly often because the embarrassment it has become to the city as dirty cop after dirty cop pleads as being a part of standing around construction sites doing next to nothing if playing on your iPhone counts. This time is was Victor Sanchez who now faces five years in prison and forfeits over $21K. We want to give this officer his time in the sun so this kind of nonsense is never forgotten.

Another day, anther dishonest cop

Johnny again and again called on Mayor Fulop to end this nonsensical stand around job idea, bet he wishes he'd have listened to Johnny back when.

Yet another Jersey City Police Officer, this one recently retired, (which is why his name didn't come up in the earlier list of TWELVE officers caught up in this federal probe) Anthony Iannicco has been caught up in the federal investigation into Jersey City PD stand around jobs. Iannicco now faces an offense that could send him to prison for up to five years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000.

The guy admitted getting paid for jobs he didn't show up to and probably never had any intention of doing so. When these worthless jobs weren't covered they actually made the decision to pull cops off patrol to staff the stand around jobs. Yes, if you are reading this from outside Jersey City and said WTF, that DID that? Yes, we did. Those comments made by spokesperson Jennifer Morrill, yeah, dismiss those out of hand, again, the mayor was warned by Johnny and many others on social media this program stunk to high heaven. Can't claim to be the leaders on this when it took the feds to bust it open.

So, yes, again, another bad cop exposed in Jersey City, one wonders when that spigot might ever slow to a trickle.

12 JCPD officers in "stand around construction site jobs" tax scandal now suspended

12 Jersey City police officers have now been suspended (with pay) for their part in not paying taxes on those shameful standing around construction site "jobs". Terrence T. MacDonald not only has this minor update, he has a much bigger one to share as well. First the deck chair shuffling:

The officers have not been charged with a crime, and the city has declined to specify how they are related to the federal investigation into officers who worked private security jobs off duty. They were placed on modified duty and stripped of their guns in January.

Here's where McDonald really moves this story forward:

Law-enforcement sources say federal prosecutors are investigating whether some officers took improper payments directly from private companies for performing off-duty security. The companies are also under investigation, the sources say.

Very interesting. No doubt they're more interested in keeping their names out of the paper than pay penalties because they all have to move money to go to the toilet. If you do find out feel free to pass their names along to Johnny.

The JCPD is a D+ force in a B+ city

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop likes to say he's trying to build his city into the best mid-sized city in America. Well, he's got the hard-working and creative residents to do it. He's certainly got the restaurants and food scene to make that happen. He's got the locale to be sure. Know what he lacks (and it's on him as well)? A top flight, or even mid-flight police department.

It's a wreck and right now if it were to get a grade it'd get a D+ and the + is generous. It's a crooked disgrace. A few years ago you'll recall this is the same department that was neck-deep in a steroid scandal. You've got a department right now that recently though it fully appropriate to pull police on actual patrol, ie really looking for bad guys, and made them stand around construction jobs utterly pointlessly FOR the developers. As for he stand around jobs, you'll also recall, at least 12 JCPD officers are in serious Dutch for lying or not reporting their wages from these gravy stand around "jobs."

It's a disgrace and friends, when you read this you'll get the idea just how bad the professional cancer has spread at the JCPD.

Ramon Lugo is preparing to sue Jersey City and dear readers, this reporter hopes he wins based on these facts. Follow us on this first part; On March 2nd, 32 year veteran JCPD Lt. Raymond Mahan was driving on Kennedy Blvd. in the wee hours of the morning and collided with Lugo's car at Kennedy and Bartholdi Avenue. In their report the JCPD wrote, and this is of vital importance:

According to an accident report, Mahan, driving south on Kennedy Boulevard at about 4 a.m., struck Lugo's Toyota Rav4 while Lugo was headed west on Bartholdi Avenue. After the collision, Mahan, driving a city-issued Chevrolet Malibu with a passenger inside, struck two cars parked on Kennedy Boulevard, according to the report. When investigating officers arrived at the scene, Mahan's car was found about four blocks away from the site of the initial collision, the report states.

Lugo was issued a summons for not stopping for an emergency vehicle. The accident report says Lugo told police he "noticed a dark color vehicle with emergency lights activated" but added because he had the green light "he thought he had enough time to make it through the intersection" before Mahan's car went through it.

Except that police report is utter bullshit, the cops made it all up to protect Boss Moss Mahan. Lugo, according to his attorney, was never even interviewed about the accident. JCPD just looked at whom Mahan was and the sham was on. No DUI test, no charges, no nothing (those may have to come AFTER the true facts came out, #SAD). Forget the fact he hit Lugo and two other vehicles, right off the hop the bad actors in the JCPD acted. The JCPD decided to make up the police report that put an innocent man on the hook for their boss. That's beyond the pale, it's dishonest, gutless and shameful. Lugo never saw any emergency lights because there were no emergency lights. Speaking of which, WHOM was riding with Mahan that night? A date? A friend? A relative? Hopefully they can get a correct story nailed down from them however doubtful.

When asked about this further malfeasance by this city's PD, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill just kicked the can on all questions to the Hudson County prosecutor's office after a nothingburger comment back in March. Not at all surprising Morrill would punt, she always does when it comes to the JCPD that her boss is in charge of. More irresponsibility from Mr. Fulop's minions.

Where is Carmine Disbrow? The Police union spokesman is always running for a microphone to tell us just how hard his cops have it and how brilliantly they do their jobs, except of course when they don't. He can't keep his mouth shut except when of course his cops are the bad actors.

So there you go friends, the JCPD are not looking out for you in these cases. They'll close ranks and protect their own at every turn, Jersey City resident and taxpayers be damned. Best advice, stay out of the Jersey City Police Department's way when they are breaking the law.

Remembering Jersey City Police Detective Melvin Santiago

A very nice article on the very short, far too short life of JCPD Detective Melvin Santiago who was killed almost a year ago today (by someone so inconsequential we'll not mention his name) in the line of duty at the Walgreens on Communipaw and Kennedy Blvd. Writers Michaelangelo Conte & Patrick Villanova tell the story of someone who was really excited at joining the JCPD and his love of family. A very good read today, make time if you can.