Trenton, NJ – Moshe “Mike” Gohar thought a $50,000 bribe would buy him approvals for a 75-unit housing development in Ocean Township. Instead, it bought him two years in federal prison.
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Despite Gohar’s service in the Israeli Army and numerous acts of charity, U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano refused to give Gohar a lesser sentence than the maximum recommended under federal guidelines.
“I don’t forget about the fact that you fought for your government. Nor do I forget you tried to corrupt this government,” Pisano said. “It’s yet another sordid case in the pattern of political corruption that we have suffered under, all of us have, in this district.”
Gohar pleaded guilty in December to paying the $50,000 bribe to then-Ocean Township Mayor Terrance D. Weldon in 2001. When Weldon’s house was later raided by FBI agents, the mayor showed them the cash from Gohar.
“The mistake in judgment you made was in thinking you could trust him,” Pisano told Gohar. “So much for trust.” [app]