Politics & Government

Newark City Worker Took Bribes From Owner Of 'After-Hours Club'

A code enforcement officer in Newark said he'd give a heads-up about police activity and fast-track building permits for a $5,000 bribe.

A code enforcement officer with the City of Newark admitted on Oct. 8, 2019 that he accepted bribes, prosecutors said.
A code enforcement officer with the City of Newark admitted on Oct. 8, 2019 that he accepted bribes, prosecutors said. (File Photo: Shutterstock)

NEWARK, NJ — A code enforcement officer with the City of Newark admitted that he accepted bribes from the operator of an “after-hours social club,” prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Tajji Williams, 43, of Newark – who was suspended prior to Tuesday’s guilty plea – must forfeit his job with the city and will be permanently barred from public employment, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General stated.

According to prosecutors, Williams used his position as a city code enforcement officer to solicit a $5,000 bribe from a man who operated an after-hours social club. In return, Williams promised the club operator that he would provide him with advance notice of law enforcement activity and priority in the filing and granting of building permits.

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Williams accepted payments from the man of $500 on three occasions in late 2016, for a total of $1,500.

The man had faced “resistance” from the city and city police about the social club, prosecutors said.

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The club operator notified the New Jersey State Police and cooperated in the investigation, prosecutors said.

On Oct. 8, Williams pleaded guilty to a charge of bribery in official and political matters. As part of the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Williams be sentenced to five years in state prison, including two years of parole ineligibility, prosecutors stated.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2020.

SECOND INDICTMENT

The investigation led to a separate indictment against a second city employee in connection with criminal conduct related to the club operator, prosecutors said.

Qaadir Royal, 39, of Newark, a former clerk in the city code enforcement office, pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records and was sentenced on Sept. 17, 2018 to three years in prison, with two years of parole ineligibility.

According to prosecutors, Royal admitted that in December 2016, he used his access to city databases to alter a certificate of occupancy for the club operator. Royal altered the certificate of occupancy so it falsely reflected that the man was permitted to operate a retail establishment, when he was not.

The investigation revealed that Royal solicited and accepted a bribe of $1,000 from the club operator in return for falsely altering the record, prosecutors said.

“Although Williams and Royal worked in the same city office, the investigation revealed that they acted independently in their criminal conduct involving the club operator,” prosecutors stated.

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