City of Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera has been indicted on bribery and extortion charges.
Rivera was arrested along with 10 others in September as part of a corruption probe by federal officials. Authorities say Rivera accepted $5,000 in exchange for his political influence.
According to the two-count indictment, Rivera held multiple meetings in August of 2007 to help an undercover company obtain a broker-of-record designation in Passaic for insurance brokerage services. The mayor allegedly agreed to a price of $50,000 for his participation in securing the contract.
Rivera allegedly promised influence over City Council votes, telling a witness "I can get four votes easy, easy, easy."
If convicted on the attempted extortion charge, Rivera faces up to 20 years in prison. The bribery charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Related information: More New Jersey politicians in trouble with the law