NEWARK, N.J., March 25 (UPI) -- A former New Jersey state legislator and powerful local official who cooperated undercover with federal investigators received a 41-month prison term Thursday.
Robert Janiszewski resigned as Hudson County executive in August 2001 after months as an informant. He pleaded guilty in 2002 to taking bribes from developers and vendors seeking to do business with the county.
In a series of trials, Janiszewski's testimony helped convict two Hudson County freeholders, former Hoboken Mayor Anthony Russo and a prominent developer in Jersey City and Hoboken. He also testified against a boyhood friend, Paul Byrne, who had been a loyal aide during Janiszewski's years in the state Assembly and as county executive.
A federal judge ordered Janiszewski to surrender in May at a federal prison.
Janiszewski, a Democrat, was elected Hudson County executive in 1987 and re-elected three times. The county, an urban strip along the Hudson River, is a Democratic stronghold known for its tumultuous politics.
