According to a press release from the AG’s Office:

Consistent with a plea agreement the defendant reached with OPIA, Torres, 66, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of probation by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark, presiding in Passaic County. Additionally, the court imposed a discretionary punitive fine of $10,000, the maximum for a 4th degree offense, during Torres’ sentencing hearing on February 4, 2025.

During a December 19, 2024 hearing before Judge Clark, Torres pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court (4th degree).

“Mr. Torres tried to avoid the consequences of his first public corruption conviction when he ran for mayor again,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This conviction and sentence secured by OPIA’s Corruption Bureau show we will not stand by when people violate the law to seek public office.”

“The lesson from this case is simple: the consequences of a public corruption conviction are real,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “My office will ensure the law applies equally to everyone, no matter how powerful they may be.”

Torres previously forfeited his position as mayor and was permanently barred from public office and public employment in New Jersey, after pleading guilty in September 2017 to conspiracy to commit official misconduct. He was also sentenced to five years in State prison.

A forfeiture order entered by the court forever disqualified Torres, pursuant to State law, from holding public office, and provided that, if Torres applied for public employment in violation of the order, he would be charged with criminal contempt.

The 2017 conviction related to Torres’ directive to employees of Paterson’s Department of Public Works to perform work at a private warehouse leased by his daughter and nephew while the employees were being compensated by city taxpayers.

In March 2022, the Attorney General’s Office filed a new charge of criminal contempt against Torres when he launched a new mayoral bid in violation of the court’s forfeiture order. A State grand jury voted on September 26, 2023 to indict the former mayor for criminal contempt.

The complaint against Torres alleged that, in February 2022, Torres made a public speech stating that he was running for mayor of Paterson in the 2022 election, and requesting that the people return him to City Hall. Torres subsequently went to the Paterson City Clerk’s Office and presented a stack of purported nominating petitions in support of his illegal candidacy. The clerk rejected the petitions. Torres then filed a civil lawsuit seeking to compel the clerk’s office to accept the petitions.

As reflected in his subsequent guilty plea, by holding himself out as a candidate for mayor, collecting signatures to gain the nomination, and submitting those petitions to the city clerk, Torres purposely and knowingly disobeyed the 2017 forfeiture order.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Adam Gerken under the supervision of OPIA Corruption Bureau Deputy Chief Frank L. Valdinoto, Bureau Co-Director Jeffrey J. Manis, and OPIA Executive Director Skinner.

Defense Attorney:

Michael De Marco of De Marco & De Marco, P.C., North Haledon