United States v. Manzo, No. 12-2294; Third Circuit; opinion by Jordan, U.S.C.J.; filed March 25, 2013. Before Judges Scirica, Jordan and Roth. On appeal from the District of New Jersey, No. 09-cr-00759. [Sat below: Judge Linares.] DDS No. 14-8-xxxx [15 pp.]
A grand jury indicted Louis Manzo for conspiring and attempting to commit extortion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2 (the Hobbs Act), and traveling in interstate commerce to promote and facilitate bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1952(a)(3) and 2 (the Travel Act). The government alleged that while a candidate for mayor of Jersey City, Manzo sought, and he and his brother Ronald received, cash payments and campaign contributions from Solomon Dwek in exchange for Manzo’s help in Dwek’s future matters involving Jersey City’s government. Unbeknownst to the Manzos, Dwek was a government informant.
