Impact Statement Mulled

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Nov. 3, 2020)

PERTH AMBOY — At the suggestion of City Council President Kenneth Balut, the Council last week voted to have City Law Director Mark Blunda draw-up an impact statement to be submitted to U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton before she sentences former Mayor Joseph Vas on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

The motion was made by Balut, seconded by Councilman William Petrick and adopted 4-0. Councilman Joel Pabon Jr., who ran for Council with Vas in 2008, abstained from voting.

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez, an attorney, insisted that Blunda “circulate a draft of that letter” among Council members before it is submitted to the Judge.

“The political pressure that had been put on the workers of the City of Perth Amboy is clear here: the people were intimidated and abused at-work,”

said Balut, who attended part of the former Mayor’s federal corruption trial in Room 5C of the King Building and U.S. District Courthouse, Newark. “The defendants clearly weren’t working on-behalf-of the taxpayers. The city had been under a cloud because Vas used his power to run for political office, not for the taxpayer.”

Balut, a retired former Perth Amboy police officer, said he believes the city should be allowed to submit an impact statement to Wigenton “just-like any other victim” because “this City of Perth Amboy was a victim.”

The jury found Vas and longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos guilty of eight of the 12 counts in the superseding indictment of their federal corruption trial. Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Both defendants were acquitted on four counts of mail fraud, but were convicted on two other counts of mail fraud, with each count of mail fraud carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Vas was convicted of fraud and misapplication of funds involving a local government receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, and of making false statements to federal agents, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $100,000.

Ramos was convicted of one count making contributions to a federal candidate in the names of others, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000, and of two counts of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), with each count carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

Vas also was convicted of one count of making contributions to a federal candidate in the names of others, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.

“The city now has to get back the funds owed it,” Balut said. “We never got our $90,000 (in Regional Contribution Agreement money) back.”

“With the conviction on-the-record showing financial harm to the city, you can seek restitution of the money involved,” Blunda stated.

Resident Alan Silber, who also attended much of the trial, said, “To use (Ramos attorney Jerome) Ballarotto’s words, (former Vas political advisor

Raymond) ‘Geneske made a career out of straw-donors,’ and he had sat on the Board of Education.

“How many of the city’s elections have been tainted?” Silber asked.