Jersey City Building Inspector Sentenced to 13 Months in Prison for Attempted Extortion

NEWARK—A former Jersey City building inspector was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison today for attempting to extort corrupt cash payments from contractors in Jersey City, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced.

U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler also ordered Randolph Condi, 39, of Jersey City, to serve 3 years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison term. Judge Chesler continued the defendant’s release on a $100,000 bond pending his surrender to officials with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, on a date to be determined by prison authorities.

On May 20, 2009, Condi pleaded guilty before Judge Chesler to a one-count criminal Information charging him with attempted extortion.

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.

In determining the actual sentence, Judge Chesler consulted 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.

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.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Nakly and Jenny Kramer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.

Defense Attorney: Paul Condon, Esq. Hoboken

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