JEANMARIE ZAHORe, 56, of Rahway, New Jersey, is facing federal charges in a brazen public corruption scheme that funneled $350,000 in taxpayer money to his no-bid computer contract with Orange Township. Zahore was indicted on one count of making corrupt payments to an agent of a local government receiving federal funds, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of violating the Travel Act to facilitate bribery, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Zahore, the sole owner of JZ Nettech—a computer consulting business run from his home—secured the emergency contract without competitive bidding after a resolution passed on September 15, 2015. The deal, dubbed the ‘Municipal Complex Project,’ was rushed through to supposedly fix a security vulnerability in the network housing both the Orange Municipal Court and Police Department. But behind the scenes, prosecutors allege, Zahore was paying off an unnamed Orange public official—referred to as ‘Individual 1’—to grease the wheels.
From August 2015 through at least November 23, 2015, Zahore allegedly conspired with Individual 1 to influence the awarding of the contract and fast-track payments. On September 14, 2015, just one day before the City Council vote, Individual 1 told senior court and police officials that JZ Nettech had been chosen to fix the urgent network flaw—omitting any mention of his prior communications with Zahore dating back to August 31.
Individual 1 pushed the project before the Orange City Council on September 15, advocating for emergency funding and the sole-source award to JZ Nettech. When council members raised concerns, he failed to disclose his ties to Zahore. The next day, he signed off on a blanket purchase order authorizing the full $350,000 payout. By September 17, Zahore emailed Orange officials with a $115,000 invoice and texted Individual 1: ‘I sent [the invoice] to [Orange Employee 1]. Do you want a copy sent to u?’
On September 18, Zahore revised the invoice, listing $34,460 for ‘Purchase of wiring for buildings’—a suspicious line item since Orange typically doesn’t pre-pay vendors for supplies. That same day, and at Individual 1’s direction, a police official signed off on the $115,000 payment for ‘PURCH[ASE] OF WIRING/CABLE/SUPPLIES.’ The process reeked of backroom collusion, prosecutors say, with no competitive process, no transparency, and no oversight.
Zahore made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond. No arraignment date has been set. If convicted, he faces years in federal prison and the permanent stain of betraying public trust for personal gain. The investigation continues as federal authorities dig deeper into how taxpayer funds were weaponized for private profit.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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