A Bayonne, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for paying $65,000 in bribes to a Bayonne public official in return for the official’s assistance in securing projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Joseph Arrigo, 47, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to one count of paying bribes totaling approximately $65,000 to Anselmo Crisonino, 56, who served as the senior accountant of the City of Bayonne Department of Community Development (CBDCD).
Arrigo also pleaded guilty to one count of theft and conversion of government funds in the amount of $40,000, and one count of submitting a false tax return for tax year 2011.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Arrigo was the owner of Shadow Contracting LLC, a general contracting company in Bayonne.
The CBDCD was a government agency that received funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under a federal program that provided grants of up to $20,000 to low-income families to rehabilitate their homes and to repair conditions affecting health and safety, accessibility, energy efficiency or code compliance.
In September 2010, Crisonino solicited cash payments from Arrigo in exchange for Crisonino’s help in attaining HUD grant funds. From September 2010 to February 2013, Arrigo made approximately $65,000 in cash payments to Crisonino in exchange for Crisonino’s assistance in awarding approximately $426,000 in HUD grant funds to Arrigo from the CBDCD.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen in Newark, with the investigation.
Joseph Arrigo, 47, a Bayonne, New Jersey resident, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to paying bribes, theft and conversion of government funds, and submitting a false tax return. The crimes occurred in Bayonne, New Jersey between September 2010 and February 2013.
Defendant: Joseph Arrigo
Criminal Charges: one count of paying bribes, one count of theft and conversion of government funds, and one count of submitting a false tax return
City and State: Bayonne, New Jersey
Exact Date: 2023
Sentence: 15 months in prison. Three years of supervised release
Dollar Amounts: $65,000 in bribes, $40,000 in theft and conversion of government funds, $151,993 in unreported income, and $426,000 in HUD grant funds
Related Federal Cases
- Joseph Arrigo, HUD Bribery, New Jersey 2023 · New Jersey
- Leonard Gresham, Accepting Bribes, New Jersey 2018 · Kansas
- Anthony Davis, Taking Bribes, New Jersey 2023 · Florida
- Thomas A. DeLeo, Honest Services Fraud, New Jersey 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Honeywell and Pfizer, Environmental Cleanup Settlement, New Jersey,… · Washington
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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