September 2nd, 2009
Corruption Cases in New Jersey
ot long ago, a defense attorney was arrested in Newark, New Jersey with three others who were involved in a racketeering and corruption conspiracy that not only included murdering a key witness in a drug offense case, but money laundering and wire fraud as well. Paul Bergrin was one of the four who were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bergrin was arrested on fourteen counts of various activities involving such activities as protecting clients..as in the previously mentioned murder in order to protect his criminal clients, allowing them to continue criminal behavior and protecting them from prosecution. The murder Bergrin is accused of, is that of a key witness in a case in Essex County.
This was a federal case and the witness was a confidential federal witness. He was also connected with the hiring of a Chicago hit-man to kill a different witness for another case in Monmouth County. Bergrin was kept in prison during the indictment proceedings as he was deemed a danger to society. Bergrin had previously held high positions, Assistant Prosecutor for Essex County and between the years of 1985 and 1990 he was the Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Along with the racketeering charges, he is charged with the murder, conspiracy to commit murder and the conspiracy to commit travel act violations. The other that were arrested were Thomas Moran, one of the attorneys with an office in Bergrin’s practice. He was arrested for his alleged participation in the hiring of the Chicago hit-man as well as racketeering charges.
Vincente Estevez was also from Manmouth County and is facing drug trafficking charges as well as in the participation of the racketeering organization. Yoland Jauregui, a woman who lived with Bergrin was charged with wire fraud, that was connected with a scheme involving a mortgage scam. Sundiata Koontz was also charged with conspiracy and fraud as well.