Dennis P. Elwell (born 1945) served as

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Secaucus, New Jersey from 2000 until July 28, 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption.

Biography

Elwell was born in Secaucus, New Jersey and has lived his entire life there. His father, Nelson Howard Elwell, was a seven-term councilman in Secaucus. In 1965, Elwell left Secaucus to serve in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. His Army unit, the

173rd Airborne Brigade The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Eu ...

, was the first major ground combat unit to serve in Vietnam. Elwell was elected to the Secaucus Board of Education in 1991. In 1992, he was elected to the Town Council as an independent. He unsuccessfully ran against Mayor Anthony E. Just three times. In 1999, he joined the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

and defeated Just in the Democratic primary, and went on to win the general election. He was re-elected mayor in 2001 and 2005. Elwell was a strong proponent of the construction of

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey. The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was ded ...

, a major rail hub that opened in 2003. Elwell is president of his family's trucking business, N.H. Elwell & Sons. He and his wife, Annette, have two children, Jason, and Alexis. A son, Travis, died in 1989 at the age of 18 when his car was hit by an oncoming

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

train.

Arrest and conviction on federal corruption charges

On July 23, 2009, Elwell was arrested as part of

Operation Bid Rig Operation Bid Rig was a long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2014 ...

, a joint operation of the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

, the

IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...

, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey into political corruption and money laundering. Elwell was charged with accepting a $10,000 cash bribe from an FBI informant who sought assistance in building a hotel in Secaucus. Five days after his arrest, on July 28, Elwell announced that effective immediately, he would resign his position as mayor. In a statement announcing his resignation, Elwell said, "Those who perceive this action to be an admission of culpability as to the pending criminal allegations are gravely mistaken." Elwell was immediately succeeded by John Reilly, who had been serving as councilman and deputy mayor. Richard Steffens was then selected as mayor. On November 17, 2009, Elwell and alleged middleman Ronald Manzo were formally indicted on three counts: conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion, and accepting corrupt payments in connection with a business transaction with a municipality that received federal funds. The charges carry maximum prison terms of 20 years. On December 4, Elwell and Manzo pleaded not guilty. Manzo eventually pleaded guilty and became the government's star witness against Elwell. On July 6, 2011, Elwell was found guilty on the bribery charge and acquitted of charges of attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion. Prior to sentencing, he suffered an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

.Al Sullivan
"They don't want you to fight back": Former Mayor Elwell returns to Secaucus after 30 months in federal prison
, ''Hudson Reporter'', November 9, 2014. In 2011, Elwell, then 66 years old, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. He was imprisoned at the

Federal Correctional Complex, Butner The Federal Correctional Complex, Butner (FCC Butner) is a United States federal prison complex for men near Butner, North Carolina. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. FCC Butner ...

, and his appeal was rejected. While in prison, Elwell suffered from

kidney stone Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material (kidney stone) develops in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine s ...

s and worked as a groundskeeper. He was released in October 2014 and returned to his home in Secaucus's North End.

References

External links

Elwell & Manzo criminal complaint

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

, July 23, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Elwell, Dennis 1945 births Living people People from Secaucus, New Jersey New Jersey Democrats United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Mayors of places in New Jersey Operation Bid Rig Politicians convicted of program bribery New Jersey politicians convicted of corruption New Jersey politicians convicted of crimes