Indictment: Bloomfield councilman took $15K in bribes, hid the evidence

A Bloomfield Township Councilaman has been incited after allegedly taking $15,000 in bribes from a business owner — promising to use his influence to make sure the township bought the business owner's property.

First Ward Councilman Elias N. Chalet of Bloomfield, 53, is facing several charges after allegedly soliciting and taking the bribe, acting Attorney General Hoffman announced Friday.

“Chalet had the power to influence a decision by the township council that he knew would have a big financial impact on the businessman he allegedly solicited for a bribe, and we charge that he tried to parlay that into a big, crooked profit for himself,” said acting Attorney General Hoffman. “This case represents local corruption at its worst.”

Hoffman said when state police arrested Chalet on Nov. 16 of last year, minutes after he's alleged to have accepted a cash payment of $5,000, he remained locked in his real estate office for 45 minutes — refusing to respond to a detective who repeatedly knocked on the door and a window of his office.

When Chalet's relatives approached detectives at the scene and tried to reach Chalet on his cell phone, they reported that Chalet was in the bathroom, Hoffman said.

Authorities say that during that 45 minutes, he was destroying or concealing $5,000 in cash — it wasn't found when State Police searched his office.

According to Hoffman, Chalet initially met with the business owner on Oct. 8 in front of Chalet’s real estate office on Broad Street in Bloomfield. Chalet told the business owner that the township’s planned purchase of his commercial property would only go through if the owner gave Chalet $15,000 in cash, Hoffman said.

In another meeting on Oct. 21 at Chalet’s real estate office, Chalet discussed again that the business owner would pay $15,000 in cash in return for Chalet ensuring and facilitating that the property be purchased by the township — butt that meeting was recorded, Hoffman said.

Chalet and the business owner agreed the business owner would make an initial payment of $10,000 in cash, with the balance of $5,000 to be paid after the township purchased the property, Hoffman said. Chalet initially asked that the business owner pay the cash through a middle man, but both ultimately agreed that the payments would be made directly to Chalet, Hoffman said.

Chalet allegedly accepted the first cash payment of $10,000 in cash from the business owner on Oct. 23 at Chalet’s real estate office — another recorded meeting. He accepted the remainder on Nov. 16 at his real estate office after he allegedly accepted the remaining $5,000 in cash from the business owner, Hoffman said.

Chalet was initially lodged in the Essex County Jail with bail set at $100,000 but has since been released on bail.

“When officials stop serving the public interest and instead serve themselves and those willing to pay their price, good government goes out the window,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “This type of corruption has an immediate cost to taxpayers, but it also has a steep price in the long run because it erodes government integrity and public trust.”

Chalet was indicted Friday on charges of official misconduct in the second degree, bribery in official and political matters in the second degree, acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior in the second degree, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in the fourth degree, and hindering apprehension or prosecution in the fourth degree.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The charges of official misconduct, bribery in official and political matters, and acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior carry a mandatory minimum term of five years of parole ineligibility. Fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

“We entrust our elected officials with looking out for the best interests of their constituents, not the best interest of filling their own pockets with bribe money,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “This indictment serves notice that illegal conduct by New Jersey’s elected officials will not be tolerated.”

T Division of Criminal Justice has a toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities confidentially. The public can also log on to the Division webpage at njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.