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U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced that a Jersey City fire inspector admitted today to accepting bribes to provide prostitution businesses in Jersey City with certificates of occupancy and advance notice of inspections or law enforcement activity.

(Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

A Jersey City fire inspector admitted today to accepting bribes to provide prostitution businesses in Jersey City with certificates of occupancy and advance notice of inspections or law enforcement activity, authorities announced.

Phillip Procaccino, 56, of Belleville pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to one count of attempting to obstruct, delay and affect interstate commerce by extortion under color of official right, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said today.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court,

Procaccino admitted that on Oct. 23, 2013 he accepted $2,500 in exchange for his official assistance in obtaining a certificate of occupancy for a Jersey City massage parlor, which also operated as a prostitution business, Fishman stated.

Procaccino also offered to provide notice of impending inspections from Jersey City authorities so the owner and employees could preemptively hide evidence of prostitution, Fishman added.

In addition, Procaccino agreed to take 10 percent of a separate prostitution business' future profits in exchange for a certificate of occupancy. He also offered to provide one day's advance notice of any police activity targeting the business, Fishman stated.

The extortion count to which Procaccino pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, which ever is greater.

Procaccino, who had previously worked as a zoning inspector for the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce's Zoning Division, will be sentenced Feb 23, 2015.

"Procaccino was a long-time city employee hired by the previous administration who worked in various departments,'' said city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill. "The current administration had started the process of disciplinary action months ago, documenting via civil service protocol, but we are pleased that based on his guilty plea today, Procaccino's employment is officially terminated without lengthy procedures."

U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the FBI's Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford and criminal investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, for their work leading to today's plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Khanna and Amy Luria of the U.S. Attorney's Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.