Jan.21, 2010

Former Guttenberg councilman Vincent Tabbachino pleaded not guilty to corruption and money laundering charges in federal court yesterday.

Tabbachino, who now lives in Fairview but owns a tax preparation business in Guttenberg, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark with co-defendant Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, who also pleaded not guilty.

Tabbachino and Suarez are among the 44 individuals charged July 23 in a massive political corruption and international money laundering sting.

A 24-page joint grand jury indictment handed up Dec. 18, accuses Tabbachino of accepting $10,000 in cash from an FBI cooperating witness and funneling the funds to the legal defense fund Suarez set up when a lawsuit was filed against him as mayor.

The funds were allegedly a bribe in exchange for helping a federal informant, failed Monmouth County developer Solomon Dwek, obtain permits for a proposed development.

Tabbachino is also accused of three counts of money laundering.

The counts charge that he accepted three checks from Dwek between February 2009 and July 2009 totaling $100,000, believing the funds were from Dwek's purported knock-off handbag business.

The indictment alleges that Tabbachino provided Dwek with cash, believing he was helping Dwek disguise the illegal funds. He allegedly kept 10 percent in commission.

Tabbachino's attorney declined to comment beyond saying his client was pleading not guilty.

"I think it speaks for itself," his attorney Anthony Kress said.

Linares set a Feb. 25 trial date for both men, noting that it's an ambitious schedule.

"We're trying to move all these cases through in a logical fashion," he said.