Man Indicted on Charges of Shaking Down Nonprofit Company

A Belleville man who authorities said pretended to be a police officer was indicted earlier this month on charges that he extorted a New York-based nonprofit company, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark has announced.

A federal grand jury handed down the indictment April 14 in Newark.  

Michael Arpaio, 57, was arrested Nov. 8, 2010, after authorities said he became involved in the theft of bins used for clothing donations, clothing which is then sold by the nonprofit company. The proceeds are then donated to charity by the nonprofit, which was identified in the indictment only as “Company One.” The firm places bins in Belleville, Bloomfield, Kearny and elsewhere in the region.

Earlier, in July 2010, Arpaio allegedly met with an employee from the nonprofit and falsely identified himself as a police officer with a family member connected to organized crime. Arpaio told the company official that Arpaio’s permission was needed first before any more bins could be placed in what Arpaio described as “his territory,” the indictment states. Arpaio also demanded cash for the return of bins that had already been stolen.

Arpaio met with the employee a few more times, in September and October 2010, sessions which were recorded, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

At one of those meetings, on Sept. 29, 2010, Arpaio allegedly received $1,000 in cash from the employee, which Arpaio said “is gonna return some of your boxes to you and it’s gonna make sure none of your other [expletive]’s gone.”

At another meeting, on Oct. 29, 2010, Arpaio demanded cash in exchange for the right to keep a bin at an unnamed Belleville retail store. Arpaio, who told the employee he’d paid the store owner $400, threatened to steal more bins when the employee demanded to speak to the store owner himself. Arpaio also told the employee he could “break every bone in your [expletive] body” and also claimed to have an uncle who had been “connected” to New York’s Genovese crime family and its former boss, the late John Gotti.    

Arpaio’s attorney, a federal public defender, could not immediately be reached for comment. No date has yet been set for Arpaio’s arraignment.