Voters in New Jersey town choose to keep mayor indicted in ‘09 federal corruption sting

Northern NJ town votes to keep indicted mayor

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. — Voters in northern New Jersey have chosen to retain a mayor who is facing federal corruption charges.

Ridgefield voters chose not to recall Mayor Anthony Suarez. According to unofficial results provided by city clerk Linda Prina, 1,023 voters rejected the recall and 985 voted for it.

Ridgefield has between 5,000 and 6,000 registered voters.

Suarez has remained in office since his arrest last July during a massive federal sweep. He is scheduled to go to trial in early October.

Suarez and a tax preparer are accused of taking $10,000 from a federal informant posing as a corrupt developer seeking building permits.

Two other mayors, Peter Cammarano III of Hoboken and Dennis Elwell of Secaucus, also were among the 44 people arrested but stepped down soon afterward.