TRENTON, NJ — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) announced criminal charges Friday against two individuals accused of soliciting a bribe from a Union Township business owner while falsely claiming to have connections to a township official.
Steven Carr, 54, of Staten Island, New York, and Whitney DaSilva, 38, of Kearny, New Jersey, are charged with bribery and conspiracy, both second-degree crimes. Carr faces an additional third-degree charge of theft by deception, according to the OPIA Corruption Bureau.
According to the criminal complaint, Carr told the business owner that he had a personal relationship with a Union Township official who could resolve the owner’s legal issues with the township in exchange for a payment of more than $10,000. DaSilva allegedly assisted by facilitating communication and offering to transfer the money.
Investigators determined that Carr fabricated the claim about the township official’s involvement. No evidence was found indicating that any official participated in the scheme. The crimes allegedly occurred between February and May as the business owner faced administrative proceedings related to their establishment.
“As alleged, these defendants tried to get a business owner to pay a bribe. Instead, the owner did the right thing and reported it to law enforcement,” Attorney General Platkin said.
Alleged scheme unraveled after victim reported bribe attempt
Documents show DaSilva initially introduced Carr to the business owner. Carr then stated he knew a township official who could make the business owner’s legal problems disappear for a bribe ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 in cash. DaSilva encouraged the business owner to make the payment and agreed to pass along the funds to Carr.
Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, said, “As the charges in this case show, bribery schemes don’t pay. They will only earn you a criminal case.”
If convicted, Carr and DaSilva face potential prison sentences of five to 10 years and fines up to $150,000 for the second-degree charges. Carr’s third-degree theft by deception charge carries a possible sentence of three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation did not reveal any wrongdoing by the Union Township official named in Carr’s false claims. The business owner’s decision to alert law enforcement allowed OPIA investigators to build the case against the two defendants.
The charges are accusations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
