TRENTON — The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced the indictment of a Paterson housing and zoning inspector and an accomplice for their alleged involvement in a bribery and forgery scheme. On February 20, a state grand jury indicted Jose Fermin, 50, of Prospect Park, NJ, and Jose Juan Guerrero-Cruz, 44, of Cape Coral, FL, on charges related to the production of fraudulent building permits with forged signatures, purported to be issued by the City of Paterson.
The indictment, resulting from a two-year investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau, includes seven counts against Fermin and Guerrero-Cruz. Guerrero-Cruz was apprehended in Fort Myers, Florida, on February 27. The accused allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to exchange illegitimate permits for payments, misleading applicants about the necessity of submitting building plans for permits.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin emphasized the commitment to prosecuting public officials who engage in corruption, stating that such actions erode public trust in government. Thomas Eicher, Executive Director of OPIA, accused the defendants of exploiting their positions for personal gain and undermining regulatory oversight with counterfeit permits.