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second real estate developer has admitted to bribing Newark's former deputy mayor with cash and jewelry in exchange for help acquiring city-owned property. Frank Valvano Jr., 57, of Florham Park pleaded guilty to two counts: honest services fraud and bribery. He faces up to five years in prison on one count and 10 years on the other.

    Valvano and fellow developer Irwin Sablosky paid off Carmelo Garcia from 2017 to April 2019. Garcia was not only deputy mayor but also director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development and executive vice president of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation. Both developers wanted to redevelop city-owned property.

    Garcia previously pleaded guilty, as did Sablosky. Authorities obtained extensive communications between Garcia, Sablosky, and a third businessman, including phone records and text messages, showing Garcia arranging cash payments. In one instance, Garcia received $25,000 in an envelope at a Newark restaurant bathroom, supplied by Valvano through an intermediary.

    Garcia was a Democratic state assemblyman from 2014 to 2016 and former Hoboken Housing Authority director. He is awaiting sentencing along with Sablosky.