Jeffrey Williamson, a former Lakewood housing inspector, was sentenced recently to 37 months in prison, and Charles Amon, a former property manager in Lakewood, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, for their respective roles in a scheme in which Williamson accepted bribes from a government cooperating witness to assist the witness with Lakewood housing matters, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. in Trenton federal court.
According to a press release, Williamson, 58, previously pleaded guilty before Brown to attempted extortion under color of official right and two counts of subscribing to a false tax return.
Amon, 34, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, at his plea hearing, Williamson stated that from as early as April 2007 through July 2009, he served as a housing inspector for Lakewood. In that capacity, Williamson was responsible for, among other things, performing inspections and certifying housing units for compliance with pertinent federal, state and local standards, codes, regulations and procedures.
Williamson admitted that from April 24, 2007, to July 10, 2009, he accepted a total of $17,500 in bribes to provide lenient inspections on rental and other properties owned by the cooperating witness in Lakewood. Williamson also allowed the witness to illegally use a residence in Lakewood as a commercial office.
Additionally, Williamson admitted that when he signed and filed his individual income tax return for tax years 2007 and 2008, he knew they were not true and correct.
Williamson’s returns did not include approximately $7,500 in taxable income he received from the cooperating witness in 2007, and approximately $8,000 in taxable income he received from the witness in 2008.
At his plea hearing, Amon admitted that from April to May 2007, he arranged meetings between Williamson and the cooperating witness with the understanding that Williamson would accept corrupt cash payments from the witness and Williamson would then perform favorable inspections on Lakewood properties the witness owned.
Amon also admitted that he had previously made corrupt cash payments to Williamson to perform lenient housing inspections on Amon’s behalf.
In addition to the prison terms, Brown ordered Williamson and Amon each to serve three years of supervised release.
Brown continued Williamson’s release on a $50,000 secured bond, and Amon’s release on a $25,000 secured bond pending their surrender to officials with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
According to the press release, the sentences stemmed from a two-track undercover FBI investigation into political corruption and international money laundering, which resulted in charges against 44 individuals via criminal complaints on July 23, 2009.
Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.