Jersey City Building Inspector Pleads Guilty to Attempted Extortion

NEWARK—A former Jersey City building inspector pleaded guilty today to attempting to extort corrupt cash payments from contractors in Jersey City, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced.

Randolph Condi, 39, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal Information charging attempted extortion before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler.

Condi is free on $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 14.

At his plea hearing, Condi admitted accepting corrupt cash payments in exchange for his agreement to expedite inspections and/or refrain from exercising his official duties as a building inspector concerning certain contracting projects being performed by government cooperating witnesses between July 2008 and January 2009.

Condi admitted that he extorted these funds in two different ways. First, Condi admitted that he agreed to expedite inspections in exchange for corrupt cash payments even though there was no cost associated with obtaining inspections. Condi also admitted that he extorted funds from a contractor by accepting corrupt cash payments in exchange for his official forbearance from reporting that contractor’s failure to obtain the appropriate permits to the Jersey City Building Department.

Condi admitted that he extorted the funds while he was employed as a Jersey City building insepector. Condi admitted that, while serving in that capacity, he was responsible for, among other things, enforcement of the Housing and Property Maintenance Code and inspection of properties subject to housing code compliance.

The charge to which Condi pleaded guilty carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, in determining an actual sentence, Judge Chesler will consult the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors, including acceptance of responsibility.

Under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Condi faces a probable range of between 18 and 24 months in federal prison. The judge, however, has discretion and is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Marra credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Kramer of the office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

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