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Ex-Paterson mayor Jose “Joey” Torres sentenced to probation for violating public office ban | Paterson Times

Ex-Paterson mayor Jose “Joey” Torres sentenced to probation for violating public office ban

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Former Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres has been sentenced to three years of probation for violating a 2017 judicial order barring him from holding public office.

Torres, 66, of Paterson, received the sentence from New Jersey Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark in Passaic County, in accordance with a plea agreement reached with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The court also imposed a $10,000 fine, the maximum penalty for a fourth-degree offense, during the sentencing hearing on Monday.

Torres had pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court during a hearing on Dec. 19.

“Mr. Torres tried to avoid the consequences of his first public corruption conviction when he ran for mayor again,” Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. “This conviction and sentence secured by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau show we will not stand by when people violate the law to seek public office.”

Torres was permanently barred from holding public office in New Jersey after pleading guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to commit official misconduct. That conviction stemmed from his directive to city employees to perform work at a private warehouse leased by his daughter and nephew while the employees were being paid by taxpayers. He was sentenced to five years in state prison and forfeited his position as mayor.

Under the terms of the 2017 forfeiture order, Torres was disqualified from holding public office or public employment in New Jersey. The order also stated that any attempt to seek public office in violation of the ruling would result in criminal contempt charges.

The Attorney General’s Office charged Torres with criminal contempt in March 2022 after he announced a bid to reclaim the mayor’s office. A state grand jury indicted him on the charge on Sept. 26, 2023.

According to prosecutors, Torres publicly declared his candidacy for mayor in February 2022 and requested support from voters. He then attempted to submit nominating petitions at the Paterson City Clerk’s Office, which rejected them. Torres later filed a lawsuit to compel the office to accept the petitions.

By presenting himself as a candidate, collecting nomination signatures, and submitting them to the clerk, Torres knowingly violated the court order, prosecutors said.

Drew Skinner, executive director of OPIA, said the case underscores the lasting consequences of public corruption.

“My office will ensure the law applies equally to everyone, no matter how powerful they may be,” Skinner said.

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