Democratic NJ powerbroker’s son kills immigrant, pardoned minutes after jury convicts

🔴 Phil Murphy pardoned a man minutes after a jury convicted him in a fatal Atlantic City hit-and-run.

🔴 The driver struck a 76-year-old man and left him dead outside a Dunkin’ before driving away.

🔴 Nearly two months later, the outrageous decision has gained the nation's attention.

TRENTON — After eight years in office, some of former Gov. Phil Murphy's most controversial decisions were made with only hours left in his final term.

On Jan. 20, his last day in office, Murphy issued pardons to 97 people. That included dozens of convicted killers.

Some pardons were met with fury from prosecutors and victims' families. One woman was set free after she was convicted of burning her two children to death. That decision has spurred state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, to advocate for reining in the governor's pardoning powers.

And another controversial pardon, now getting attention weeks after Murphy left office, was given to a man who was on the verge of a conviction for a fatal hit-and-run. In fact, the man learned that he had been granted the pardon after the judge in his case refreshed a page on the governor's website as they sat in the courtroom.

Fatal Atlantic City hit-and-run conviction erased by last-minute pardon

Harris Jacobs, 28, applied for a pardon from Murphy before his second trial ended; the first had ended in a hung jury. It paid off.

On Jan. 20, at 7:30 a.m., Jacobs got the call that he would receive a pardon from the then-governor, defense attorney Lou Barbone said to Breaking AC. Around 11:15 a.m., the jury convicted him of second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident.

Get our free mobile app

And then Jacobs was pardoned less than 15 minutes later. The entire courtroom, including the judge, learned of the decision through a news release posted online.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, led by William Reynolds, released a rare rebuke of Murphy's pardon. Politics had pervaded justice, prosecutors said.

“A conviction can be rendered meaningless not by the verdict of a jury, but by the intervention of political power and connections.”

Surveillance video and testimony described deadly crash

Prosecutors said Jacobs hit a 76-year-old Atlantic City resident around 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2022. Orlando Fraga-Seruti was dead at the scene out front of a Dunkin' on Atlantic Ave.

The fatal crash was caught on surveillance video shown to jurors. Prosecutors said Jacobs parked, got out of his Toyota 4Runner, and walked over to the body lying in the road. He looked at Fraga-Seruti twice before getting back in his car and driving off.

While friends testified that Jacobs had been out drinking and barhopping before the crash, it's unknown whether he was drunk. Too much time passed before he was arrested at his Atlantic City apartment seven hours later.

Political fundraising and influence questions emerge

Harris Jacobs never called the police. However, he called his powerful father 10 times that morning, according to testimony at trial.

During a December 2024 fundraiser at his home, attorney Joe Jacobs raised more than $100,000 for Tammy Murphy's failed U.S. Senate campaign, according to reports. The former first lady lost her primary race to Andy Kim, who now holds the seat. Earlier that year, Jacobs reportedly held a fundraiser for Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, another Democrat.

Son demands accountability after fatal hit-and-run

Known to his friends as "Big Cuba," Fraga-Seruti was a Cuban immigrant who lived in Atlantic City for 37 years. According to his obituary, he worked as casino security at The Claridge Hotel and the Sands.

His only son, Ckenny Fraga-Seruti, spoke with the New York Times. He never received a call from Jacobs or Murphy.

“Take accountability. You made a mistake. Instead of calling for help or turning yourself in, you call your parents,” Fraga-Seruti told the Times. “It just comes to show that money and power is a very powerful influence in our country.”

🍎READ MORE: NJ schools face teacher layoffs as health insurance costs soar

New Jersey governor’s sweeping pardon power under scrutiny

The Murphy and Jacob families have remained silent about the decision to pardon Harris Jacobs. But the former governor doesn't have to explain himself.

The governor's power to issue pardons for almost any reason is outlined in the state constitution. It carves out exceptions only for treason and impeachment.

In June 2024, Murphy created a Clemency Advisory Board. It was tasked with making decisions on who would receive pardons and clemency. Murphy said it would "address injustices and overly harsh sentences" in the criminal justice system. Justin Dews was appointed the first chair of the volunteer board.

"Our work will be grounded in fairness and not influence. Clemency is not reserved for the favored and well-connected," Dews said in 2024.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom