Former Newark mayor convicted of fraud

NEWARK, N.J., April 16 (UPI) -- A federal jury in New Jersey has convicted former Newark Mayor Sharpe James of fraud for conspiring to rig the sale of nine city lots to his mistress.

James, 72, was found guilty on all 13 counts of the indictment and could be sentenced to several years in federal prison, The New Jersey Star-Ledger reported Wednesday.

Co-defendant and former girlfriend Tamika Riley, 39, was also found guilty on all counts.

Between 2001 and 2005, Riley paid the city $46,000 for six parcels of land in a redevelopment zone that she quickly resold for $665,000, the newspaper said.

During the five-week-long trial, prosecutors called nearly three dozen witnesses who testified the mayor secretly manipulated the government approval process to give his girlfriend a windfall.

James, who served five terms as mayor of Newark, was one of the state's top Democratic power brokers.

He left office two years ago after deciding not to seek re-election.