Admits Paying Cash and Gifts for Assistance in Redeveloping Newark-Owned Properties
Newark, NJ — A Newark business owner has admitted to bribing a former city official in exchange for assistance with acquiring and redeveloping Newark-owned properties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Irwin Sablosky, 64, of Springfield, NJ, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to charges of honest services fraud and bribery.
Sablosky admitted to bribing Carmelo Garcia, who served as both deputy mayor and director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development, as well as executive vice president of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), now known as Invest Newark. The bribes were intended to secure Garcia’s assistance in advancing real estate deals beneficial to Sablosky and his business associate, Frank Valvano Jr.
“As he admitted in court, Irwin Sablosky provided cash and jewelry to Carmelo Garcia, a former Newark deputy mayor and director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development in exchange for Garcia’s use of his influence to assist Sablosky’s acquisition of various Newark-owned properties for redevelopment, defrauding the people of Newark of their right to the official’s honest services. He corrupted the public official’s independent judgment and violated the public trust for his own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.