Lori Serrano
Encyclopedia
Lori Serrano is the former Commissioner
and Chairwoman of the Jersey City
Housing Authority
, the state's second largest public housing authority
. She was an unsuccessful City Council candidate on mayoral candidate Louis Manzo
's ticket in the 2009 Jersey City
municipal election.
In October 2008, Serrano was removed by state authorities from the Housing Authority
for failure to complete the required training for public housing commissioners.
In July 2009, Serrano was arrested by the FBI as part of a major corruption
and international money laundering
conspiracy
probe labeled Operation Bid Rig
. Serrano was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey
with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Serrano allegedly accepted $10,000 in cash from an FBI cooperating witness posing as a developer in exchange for promising political favors.
Serrano had attended St. Mary's High School and Monmouth University
. Prior to her arrest on federal corruption charges
, she worked as a payroll clerk for the Jersey City Board of Education
.
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
and Chairwoman of the Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
Housing Authority
Public housing in the United States
Public housing in the United States has been administered by federal, state and local agencies to provide subsidized assistance for low-income and people living in poverty. Now increasingly provided in a variety of settings and formats, originally public housing in the U.S...
, the state's second largest public housing authority
Public housing in the United States
Public housing in the United States has been administered by federal, state and local agencies to provide subsidized assistance for low-income and people living in poverty. Now increasingly provided in a variety of settings and formats, originally public housing in the U.S...
. She was an unsuccessful City Council candidate on mayoral candidate Louis Manzo
Louis Manzo
Louis Manzo is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2008, where he represented the 31st legislative district.-Biography:...
's ticket in the 2009 Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
municipal election.
In October 2008, Serrano was removed by state authorities from the Housing Authority
Public housing in the United States
Public housing in the United States has been administered by federal, state and local agencies to provide subsidized assistance for low-income and people living in poverty. Now increasingly provided in a variety of settings and formats, originally public housing in the U.S...
for failure to complete the required training for public housing commissioners.
In July 2009, Serrano was arrested by the FBI as part of a major corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and international money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
probe labeled Operation Bid Rig
Operation Bid Rig
Operation Bid Rig is an ongoing, long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey since 2002...
. Serrano was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey is the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey. Paul J. Fishman was sworn into office as U.S. Attorney on October 14, 2009 after having been nominated by President Barack Obama. He succeeded Ralph J. Marra, who served as Acting U.S....
with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Serrano allegedly accepted $10,000 in cash from an FBI cooperating witness posing as a developer in exchange for promising political favors.
Serrano had attended St. Mary's High School and Monmouth University
Monmouth University
Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter....
. Prior to her arrest on federal corruption charges
Operation Bid Rig
Operation Bid Rig is an ongoing, long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey since 2002...
, she worked as a payroll clerk for the Jersey City Board of Education
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
.