Hoboken FBI Probe Growing

With all eyes on Tuesday night's hijinks at the Hoboken BoE  a stunning development in our ongoing F.B.I. corruption probe went unnoticed.

GA's super-sleuth One-Eye, just directed me to this article in yesterday's Jersey Journal:

Law enforcement officials paid a visit to the Hudson County Improvement Authority in Jersey City yesterday and seized computers, but officials had little information on what the probe is about.

"We are aware they were at the office (yesterday) and we are fully cooperating," said Christina Filip, a spokeswoman for the HCIA.

Yesterday afternoon, several white vans were seen at the HCIA office, located on Summit Avenue near Five Corners. But at 5 p.m., Filip said she did know what level of law enforcement they were connected to or why they were there.

But Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise and a source in Hudson County law enforcement said the FBI was involved.

That nearly caused One-Eye's one eye to pop from it's socket. 

Because the HCIA, an autonomous public agency with broad responsibilities in solid waste management, recycling, recycling education also funds projects all over Hudson County.

And as such, the HCIA is a hotbed for potential corruption for their ability to bond. 

Example: Hoboken developer Joe Barry went to jail in 2004 for bribing HCIA officials to issue bonds  for improvements to the waterfront.  Remember those improvements were Barry's personal obligation, but he got the HCIA to fund them with taxpayer money.

Via bribery.

From Al Sullivan in 2001:

Federal law enforcement officers have subpoenaed documents from the Hudson County Improvement Authority, a county agency that funds projects in various towns, concerning the funding for a section of Hudson River walkway in Hoboken.

Sources said that federal authorities are looking into a $1 million federal grant that was issued to Shipyard Associates in 2000 to help fund the construction of the public riverfront walkway along a boundary of their luxury housing development on Hoboken's northern waterfront.

Federal officials have requested documents from the Hudson County Improvement Authority, headquartered in Jersey City, dating back to 1998.

Some believe this is related to an August FBI raid of the Hoboken-based offices of Applied Housing in Hoboken, the parent company of Shipyard Associates. That raid, in turn, is believed to be connected to a larger federal investigation of prominent figures in Hudson County.

Yes, the HCIA has played a prominent role in Hoboken corruption.

And yesterday the F.B.I. swept in and seized the HCIA's computers.   Nine months after they swept in and seized Hoboken's.

Which begs the question, did any 'crumbs' found on Hoboken City servers lead a trail to the HCIA?

Or has someone squeezed in the Hoboken investigation 'talked'- traded someone or something to help himself, leading the Feds to the HCIA?

Think of all the Hudson County- issued bonds for public construction.  And the possibilities...

One-Eye seems to think the HCIA computer seizure has everything to do with the long tentacles of the Hoboken investigation, preceded by the surrender of our city's data banks.  Yes, the Feds have many trails to follow.

It looks like one may have led to the Jersey City office of the HCIA.