Hamilton Township Mayor Charged with Taking Bribes
A grand jury has indicted the mayor of New Jersey's largest suburb for allegedly taking bribes from a government informant.
John Bencivengo is mayor of Hamilton Township, in Mercer County.
He was charged in April with attempted extortion for allegedly taking about $12,000 in bribes from someone seeking to maintain a contract with the township's school district.
The indictment handed up Thursday adds several other counts including money laundering.
The extortion and money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Through his lawyer, Bencivengo has previously denied the charges.
A message left for his attorney Thursday was not immediately returned.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)