Prominent Newark Attorney Clifford Minor Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Role in Witness Bribery Conspiracy and Cover-Up

NEWARK, NJ—Clifford Minor, 68, of Newark, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in conspiring to commit bribery in connection with witness testimony and for committing perjury, obstructing justice, and falsifying records in furtherance of the scheme, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Minor was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise in Newark federal court. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges contained in a second superseding indictment unsealed September 23, 2010: conspiracy to use a facility in interstate commerce to commit witness bribery, use of an interstate facility to facilitate bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of records, lying under oath, and lying to federal agents.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Minor admitted he conspired with Abdul Williams, 34, of East Orange, N.J., and Jamal Muhammad, 33, of Newark, to knowingly facilitate Muhammad’s confession to a crime he did not commit. While Williams was in an Essex County jail following his June 2007 arrest for possession of a firearm, Minor escorted Muhammad to the Newark Police Department to confess to possessing the firearm for which Williams had been arrested. Muhammad was arrested following his false confession, and Minor was captured in recorded telephone calls instructing Williams how to post Muhammad’s bail. Minor also admitted he was paid $3,500 by Williams for his participation in the conspiracy.

Minor also pleaded guilty to a variety of offenses relating to his attempts to cover up the conspiracy once federal authorities began investigating. On Dec. 21, 2009, Minor was served with a grand jury subpoena for production of documents concerning his purported representation of Muhammad. Minor agreed voluntarily to meet with FBI agents and Assistant U.S. Attorneys on January 29, 2010. Represented by counsel, Minor made several false statements under oath, including that he had no communications with Williams concerning his representation of Muhammad; he had been retained by Muhammad; he had been paid $500 by Muhammad for the representation; he met with Muhammad prior to July 5, 2007; he had no indication that Muhammad’s false statement was made in return for a bribe, and he had never been involved in any case involving Williams.

In addition, Minor manufactured and produced to the U.S. Attorney’s Office a false “Agreement to Provide Legal Services,” dated July 5, 2007, that stated Minor had received a $500 fee to represent Muhammad.

As a condition of his guilty plea, Minor was required to file a notice with the N.J. State Bar permanently surrendering his license to practice law, with prejudice, and to comply with all procedures to surrender his license as required by the state bars in all states in which he is licensed to practice. Finally, Minor forfeited $8,500 he was paid in connection with his representation of Muhammad, which constituted or was derived from proceeds traceable to the commission of the offenses.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Debevoise sentenced Minor to three years’ supervised release, fined him $6,000 and ordered him to pay $8,500 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony J. Mahajan, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Narcotics/Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit, and Robert Frazer, of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Thomas R. Ashley Esq., Newark, N.J.; Stephen Turano Esq., New York, N.Y.

FBI Working Group Declares Children Not for Sale

NEWARK—Today, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward of the FBI's Newark Division announced the successful conclusion of the New Jersey portion of "Operation Cross Country V," the latest phase of an FBI-led initiative that began in 2008, in which dozens of law enforcement officers from the FBI, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), and the Newark, Secaucus, and Union City Police Departments arrested 16 individuals and recovered two juveniles during this two-day nationwide takedown of child prostitution. Additionally, law enforcement has been able to establish interstate links between the criminal activities in the New Jersey area and elsewhere.

History

FBI investigation and analysis has determined that at least 25 percent of adults who are or were once prostitutes were enticed into it as juveniles. In June of 2003, the FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), launched the Innocence Lost National Initiative. Their combined efforts were aimed at addressing the growing problem of domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States. Operation Cross Country (OCC) is a national law enforcement operation targeting child prostitution venues such as street tracks, Internet advertisements for prostitution services, truck stops, motels, and casinos. In the seven years since its inception, the initiative has resulted in the development of 39 dedicated task forces and working groups throughout the U.S. involving local, state, and federal law enforcement officials working to rescue victims of child exploitation. Through the Innocence Lost Initiative, more than 1,200 child victims have been recovered, more than $3.1 million has been seized, and 625 individuals have been convicted nationwide.

Why New Jersey?

Because of the level of commercial and tourism travel through New Jersey, there appears to be a significant amount of child trafficking and child prostitution in or through the state. Runaways are frequently drawn to the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area in an attempt to obtain employment in the fashion or movie industry. The Atlantic City area is targeted by criminals who exploit children because of the frequency and amount of tourism to resorts and casinos there. For these reasons and in support of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, the Newark Division of the FBI has initiated two local working groups targeting child prostitution. One group targets the facilitation of child prostitution in Essex, Union, and Hudson Counties, and the other group targets the facilitation of child prostitution in the Atlantic City resort and casino area.

Also, the sexual exploitation of children has become more prevalent among violent street gangs and organized criminal enterprises since 2005 because it is easier to facilitate than narcotics and weapons trafficking. Gang members, including the Crips, Bloods, MS-13, and Latin Kings, all of which are present in New Jersey, are known to travel to various states to promote their prostitutes. As a result, they are able to take advantage of lucrative prostitution markets, elude law enforcement, and separate the prostitutes from family members. Due to the young age, mental and emotional vulnerability, and naivety of children, it is relatively easy for pimps to obtain total control of children in a short period of time.

The Use of Technology

As technology has advanced, so have the recruitment methods of sex traffickers. Online advertisements, e-mail, and social networking sites allow them to reach a larger target audience. Since the Internet can provide anonymity, pimps, prostitutes, and clients utilize it to advertise and communicate with each other. Social networking sites also allow pimps to network with other pimps across the country and the world.

The New Jersey Takedown

Operation Cross Country V began Thursday evening in the Newark area and resulted in the arrest of eight adults (six prostitutes and two pimps) and the recovery of two juveniles. The subjects were taken into custody by the Newark Police Department. On Friday evening, eight more adults were arrested: two adult prostitutes taken into custody by the Newark Police Department, and five adult prostitutes and one adult driver taken into custody by the Secaucus Police Department. No juveniles were recovered on Friday. In total, 16 adults were arrested and two juveniles were recovered in this latest phase of Operation Cross Country. All of the participating agencies (Newark, Secaucus, Union City, NJSP, and the FBI) were involved in the surveillance and subsequent arrests on both nights of the operation.

"The crime of child prostitution is among the most disturbing and heinous offenses law enforcement can investigate," said Michael B. Ward, Special Agent In Charge of the FBI's Newark division. "In this world, children are bartered and sold like products on a store shelf with no regard to their well-being or the physical and mental damage done to them. Their vulnerabilities are exploited, and they are subjected to a constant demand to make money for their handlers. By working together to dismantle child prostitution rings, law enforcement agencies work to bring these children back to safety. I commend and thank the Newark, Union City, and Secaucus Police Departments, as well as the New Jersey State Police, their for commitment to addressing this problem."

Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent New Jersey State Police, added, "The crime of child prostitution erodes the fiber of our society. We welcome the opportunity to partner with local, county, and federal law enforcement agencies to rid our society of this despicable crime."

Aftercare

Generally speaking, law enforcement nationwide works directly with Child Protective Services (CPS) to place children recovered from child prostitution. In New Jersey, that contact is the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). If the child is a runaway to be returned home, DYFS will evaluate that home to be sure the environment is safe for the child. If the child is to be returned to another state, the FBI's Office of Victim Assistance will reach out to CPS for that state. If the child is unable to be returned home, that child becomes a ward of the state and is placed into foster care. But upon intake, the FBI's Office of Victim Assistance ensures that basic needs are met, such as food, clothing, and medical attention.

Those arrested are being held in local custody and charged at the state level. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is ongoing.

Book and Author of the Year Announced

February 4, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Police-Writers.com announced the 2008 Book of the Year and 2008 Author of the Year.

What Every Chief Executive Should Know: Using Data to Measure Police Performance, (Looseleaf Law Publications, 2007) by Captain Jon M. Shane (ret.), was selected as the 2008 Police-Writers.com Book of the Year. In December 1985, Jon Shane Joined the Newark Police Department (New Jersey) and was assigned to the South Police District. During his 20 year law enforcement career, he worked a variety of assignments and worked his way through the ranks of detective, sergeant and lieutenant, eventually reaching the rank of Captain.

Jon Shane’s book stood out among the entrants because it significantly advances management decision making in the field of law enforcement. The book provides models and mathematical approaches to management questions like: “How many officers do we need? Are we efficiently using the ones we have? Is there a relationship between the number of officers we have and our crime rate? What is the status of our patrol car fleet? Are citizens satisfied with our work? What is the cost of our special programs and what are the actual benefits?”

One Police-Writers.com judge noted that Jon Shane’s book “took a daunting subject and broke it down into pieces that anyone could understand and put to use. Not only did he give simple and easy to understand explanations, he also provides examples of types of data and how to work with that data to make intelligent decisions. Plus, he provides a CD with ready-to-use Excel spreadsheets for an executive to use right away.” A second judge noted, “Shane’s book goes beyond the use of math to solve management questions in policing. The hidden value in the work may be that it demonstrates new ways of thinking about crime. Potentially, it could help put the word “analysis” back into “crime analysis.”

James H. Lilley was selected as the 2008 Police-Writers.com Author of the Year. The author of the year selection was based in part on writing ability and in part on career and community service.

James H. Lilley began his lifetime as a United States Marine in 1961. Shortly after his discharge, he joined the Howard County Police Department (Maryland), graduating first in his class. During his career his received numerous honors such as Medal of Valor, four Bronze Stars, four Unit Citations and the Governor’s Citation. James H. Lilley has published six novels, articles in Police Chief Magazine and authored an International Association of Chiefs of Police training key. Moreover, he began studying Martial Arts in the early 1960s and is a 8th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate; the first American to achieve this recognition and honor from Sensei Takeshi Miyagi.

James Lilley submitted as an example of his work The Eyes of the Hunter (PublishAmerica 1997). One of the Police-Writers.com judges said of James’ writing, “He is a mature writer with strong plot, character and story development.” Another judge said, “easy to read, and it was very good escapism. The writer has some absolutely beautiful passages wherein he describes a sound or a vista. The sex scenes are pretty hot, too.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 839 police officers (representing 382 police departments) and their 1772 law enforcement books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Angels, Blue Warriors and the Media

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three state and local police officers as well as one federal law enforcement official to the growing list.

Paul Stuligross has been in law enforcement for over 19 years. Currently, a police officer with the Novi Police Department in Michigan, his book, Birth of an Angel (published under the pen name Paul Stuart), “chronicles the life of a cop who has lost his faith and to whom God has decided to assign an angel. The story is told from two perspectives: the perspective of the cop and his friends, and the perspective of the angel. Thus, many of the horrific things the officer sees and cannot understand are at seen differently when the angel experiences the same things.”

O.J. Moravek joined the Newark Police Department 1970 after emerging from the Vietnam era military with an honorable discharge at the rank of corporal. As of 1995, he worked at the Newark Police Department Headquarters reviewing and assigning the detective work and assisting victims of crime. About his book, The Blue Warrior, he stated, "I have been fortunate in having a cat's nine lives. Still, in facing down those situations, I now feel I have something to offer in the way of real life experience to my fellow officers, and the public in general." He donated a portion of the royalties from his book to the Newark Police Department for the continued development of better protective clothing and material for police officers.

Gary Nitchman, MPA, retired as a sergeant from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department where he served as a Public Information Officer. Upon his retirement, he entered the field of law enforcement education and served as an Associate Professor with Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California for ten years and as chairperson of the Administration of Justice Department at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu Community College for six years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Service Management from the University of Redlands and a Master of Pubic Administration degree from the University of Southern California.

His book, Media Survival Guide, helps the reader explore, “from press releases to live on-scene interviews.” Additionally, his book assists police officers in “confidently and successfully handle encounters with the media and understand the importance of fostering a cooperative rather than adversarial relationship. In an era where a high profile case can put any agency under the media's spotlight, this book is a "must read" for all law enforcement officers.

Paul E. Doyle served as a Special Agent in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Doyle was a member of the US Army 10th Special Forces Airborne detachment and 2nd Infantry division. A former NEAAU Diamond Belt Heavyweight boxing champion, Doyle has boxed both nationally and abroad. Doyle is a Certified Critical Incident and Crisis Intervention Peer Counselor and a member of a Critical Incident Response Team. Doyle is Chairman of the New England Chapter of the Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and family.

In Doyle’s Book, Hot Shots and Heavy Hits: Tales of an Undercover Drug Agent, he “bluntly chronicles the riveting, true stories from his years on the inside. Known on the street by his alias, "Paulie Sullivan", he recalls his rookie days, trying to infiltrate the criminal drug world under the tutelage of his veteran partner, through his coming of age as an experienced narc, sharing his keen observations on ruined lives, personal peril, and government red tape along the way.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 317 police officers (representing 136 police departments) and their 738 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.