Judge refuses to dismiss case against ex-Bergen County Dems chief Ferriero
October 16, 2014, 6:17 PM Last updated: Friday, October 17, 2014, 7:00 AM
By KAREN SUDOL
A federal judge on Thursday refused to throw out a case against a former chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization who is charged with profiting from his position through a series of bribery, kickback and extortion schemes.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas denied a defense request for the dismissal of the 2013 indictment against Joseph A. Ferriero.
Federal prosecutors have charged Ferriero, 57, with extorting millions from a Meadowlands complex developer in exchange for his support and with persuading Bergen towns to hire a software developer who was paying Ferriero. He also secured a Bergenfield borough attorney job for a friend, Dennis Oury, who then persuaded the town to hire grant-writing firm that both he and Ferriero had ownership interests in, according to the indictment.
His trial, which was supposed to begin in November, has been postponed until February because of scheduling issues among the attorneys.