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Trenton Mayor Arrested on Corruption Charges

Federal agents arrested Trenton, N.J., Mayor Tony Mack Monday morning for allegedly collecting nearly $120,000 in bribes related to a parking garage project.

Federal agents arrested Trenton, N.J., Mayor Tony Mack Monday morning for allegedly collecting nearly $120,000 in bribes related to a parking garage project, the Trenton Times reports.

Authorities also arrested Mack's brother Ralphiel, who coaches football at a local high school, and Joseph Giorgianni, one of his supporters. 

"The investigation revealed evidence of a conspiracy among the defendants and other to corrupt certain functions of Trenton City government in favor of a purported developer seeking to building a parking garage on City-owned property in exchange for cash payments totaling approximate $119,000, a total of $54,000 that the defendants actually accepted in one way or another and another $65,000 that they anticipated accepting," according to a criminal complaint cited by the paper.

The FBI had been investigating the case since September 2010 at which time an FBI informant met with Giorgianni, claiming to work for a developer who wanted to build a parking garage in Trenton. The informant offered cash in exchange for Mack's help in obtaining property to do so, and Giorgianni allegedly agreed.

"We want this," Giorgianni allegedly said. "What do you think we did all this for? I like to make money for my friends. I like to do it like the Boss Tweed way. You know Boss Tweed ran Tamany Hall?"

Conversations continued in the following months, culminating in a FBI raid of Ralphiel Mack's home, where they found $100 bills matching serial numbers of money that the informant gave to Giorgianni, according to the Times.

The evidence against Mack includes two witnesses and wire taps placed on the phones of Mack, Giorgianni and the witnesses, according to the Times.

Mack and Giorgianni were to be transported to the Trenton federal courthouse early Monday afternoon.

Dylan Scott is a GOVERNING staff writer.
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