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: Associate of politically connected businessman admits to currency scheme 

: The Associated Press 
: 1/9/2004, 5:59 p.m. ET 

: NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Another associate of a politically connected West New York businessman has pleaded guilty, admitting that they schemed to structure currency transactions to avoid bank reporting rules.
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: The guilty plea Friday from Edgardo Aguirre was the sixth in the case, and the latest to implicate Rene Abreu.

: Abreu's wife pleaded guilty Tuesday to a tax charge stemming from the sale of an investment property.

: Abreu faces trial next month on 45 counts, including bank fraud and tax charges.

: His lawyer, Gerald Krovatin, did not immediately return a call Friday. On Tuesday, he said Abreu "will fight this case all the way."

: Abreu, of Fort Lee, whose operations include a mortgage company, was indicted on bank fraud charges in May 2002 and has maintained his innocence. He was a fund-raiser for West New York Mayor Albio Sires, who is now speaker of the state Assembly.

: Aguirre, 51, pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count in the May 2002 indictment against him, Abreu and 10 others. The count said he and Abreu had more than $2 million deposited in accounts at several banks in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid filing cash transaction reports.

: Aguirre faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced May 3 by U.S. District Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr. The actual penalties would be far less, in part because he pleaded guilty.

: One of the others to plead guilty in the case was Manuel "Manny" Mier of Hillside, who admitted in September 2002 that he funneled $2,000 a week from an illegal gambling operation in West New York from the former police chief to Abreu.

: The former chief, Alexander Oriente, pleaded guilty along with two dozen other individuals in a police corruption scandal involving gambling and prostitution rackets in West New York. He testified in 1999 that he gave $2,000 a week to Abreu, believing it ultimately ended up with Sires.

: Sires has denied taking illegal payments.


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