Phillip Procaccino, a fire inspector from Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for official assistance with prostitution businesses.
In October 2013, Procaccino accepted $2,500 in exchange for his help in obtaining a certificate of occupancy for a massage parlor that also operated as a prostitution business. He also offered to provide advance notice of inspections so that the owner and employees could hide evidence of prostitution.
Additionally, Procaccino agreed to take 10% of the future profits from another prostitution business in exchange for a certificate of occupancy and one day’s advance notice of any police activity targeting the business.
Procaccino, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to obstruct, delay, and affect interstate commerce by extortion under color of official right. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court.
The sentence also included one year of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman praised the special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office and the criminal investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark for their work in securing the sentence.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Khanna and Amy Luria. Defense counsel was Paul B. Brickfield Esq. of River Edge, New Jersey.
Mandatory Facts:
1. Defendant/Respondent: Phillip Procaccino
2. Exact Criminal Charges: Attempting to obstruct, delay, and affect interstate commerce by extortion under color of official right
3. City and State: Jersey City, New Jersey
4. Exact Date: October 23, 2013 (crime date)
5. Sentence or Outcome: 1 year and 1 day in prison, 1 year of supervised release
6. Dollar Amounts: $2,500 (bribe)
Related Federal Cases
- 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
- Hawthorne Paint Co. Inc. not named, USERRA Violation, New Jersey, 2023 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption