First ex-JCPD officer sentenced in stand-around job scheme

Christopher Ortega, who was convicted in the stand around scheme along with dozens of other JCPD officers including a former chief, was sentenced to three years probation for his part in federal court in Newark. Ortega went to court facing up to five years and was spared prison because of his contrition:

"...facing as many as five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit fraud charge, but U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez argued that a less severe sentence was appropriate because Ortega accepted responsibility for his crimes, did not blame anyone else for them and is unlikely to re-offend."

Johnny thinks the lesson here is that it's never too late to admit you fucked up and never too late certainly to ask for forgiveness. Not all the cops involved felt like Mr. Ortega. Not all are going to get probation either.

3 more Jersey City cops plead guilty -- friends it's a pipeline

Trying not to spend too much time on this (again) today but three more disgraced police officers from our fair city have pled guilty in the stand around cases where they claimed hours they didn't work, and or didn't pay the IRS on the money they got and or didn't cut the city in on their portion of this ridiculous program. Welcome to the Jersey City Desk wall of shame bad actors James Cardinali, Christopher Ortega and Victor Sanchez. Book 'em Terrence:

Cardinali was in charge of assigning off-duty jobs in the south district, where Ortega and Sanchez also worked.

Cardinali admitted today that he allowed companies to operate without off-duty officers present. He also admitted he approved phony vouchers to the city to make it appear as if officers worked sites they hadn't and accepted cash from the companies and officers who benefited. Ortega and Sanchez, who also worked in the south district, both admitted accepting money for work they never performed.

Funny nobody's going to jail for actually pulling on-duty cops off-duty to get to these stand around jobs.

As Johnny warned you a week or so ago, the JCPD are embarrassing the city AGAIN

Johnny mentioned at the time the JCPD will hold back this city's want of being a first-class mid-sized city. Well, they've indeed done it again.

At least twelve Jersey City police officers, taking free money as part of those stand around construction sites and do nothing but talk with workers, smoke, play Doodlejump on their iPhones or sleep in their cars, have been busted in a FEDERAL FBI investigation (so DO NOT let Jersey City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill say the city was on top of this -- they weren't) for scamming the city they were supposed to be giving a cut of the stand around money they made. Also and did you know, some of these cops standing around construction sites doing nothing all fucking day make MORE doing that than from their salary. Boy, talk about messed up. What a waste of police resources that Steve Fulop and the JCPD allow to happen.

Now, if for no other reason than to stick a finger in the eye of the Jersey City PBA (Actually we're naming names because that's what happens when you commit a crime, your name goes in the paper) who had some ridiculous horseshit to say about the arrests. Here are your reassigned and guns taken away Jersey City "police officers":

According to a source with knowledge of the investigation, the 12 officers are Ehab Abdelaziz; Juan Berrios; James Cardinale; Andrea Fahrenholz; Hernandez; David Leon; Michael O'Leary; Christopher Ortega; Gicella Sanchez; Melissa Sanchez; Victor Sanchez; and Alex Vilas. Ortega is a detective, the rest are police officers.

If you see them let them know how much their selfish stupid actions cost the city in crime stats and reputation. If it were up to Johnny all of them would be looking for new jobs today. BUT there's a Jersey City PBA (Police Benevolent Assn.) that thinks their names shouldn't have been made public, get ready for the spin:

Carmine Disbrow, president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, issued a statement blasting the leak of the officers' names. 

"Offering these names up does a disservice to the JCPD, and to the integrity of the investigation," Disbrow said. "This only serves to further someone's personal agenda."

OK Carmine, bzzzzzzt, WRONG, you LOSE sir, good day! It does nothing to hurt the integrity of the investigation. not at all. Lie #1. Personal agenda? It's the NEWS, they committed crimes. Name go in paper so Lie #2 from Carmine. Have you ever read a statement from a PBA spokesmodel and didn't just want to punch out their lights? Cops never do wrong, no matter what.

So, once again, people are given easy jobs, basically free money to stand around drinking coffee but that's just not enough is it? Nope, they also have a lot of time standing there to think about ways to steal from the city and city taxpayers while they do it.

And for what, a little bit of money...