A former Jersey City police officer was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for paying bribes in order to obtain compensation for off-duty work he did not perform, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Officials said Michael O’Leary, 35, of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Private contractors and utility companies sometimes needed the services of off-duty Jersey City police officers for certain projects, including work in Jersey City that could obstruct the flow of traffic. O’Leary was an officer who was eligible to perform off-duty work.
From November 2013 through April 2016, O’Leary engaged in a conspiracy in which he paid bribes to another Jersey City officer who was authorized to assign off-duty work, in exchange for that officer’s official assistance in submitting phony vouchers to Jersey City indicating that O’Leary had completed certain off-duty assignments. As a result, O’Leary was compensated for work he never performed.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced O’Leary to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $113,145 and forfeiture of $39,587.
The Jersey City Police Department is cooperating with the investigation.