Al-Tarik Onque, a former senior aide to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for city permits , according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Onque, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in connection to a scheme in which he offered property owners “expeditated acquisition of [permit] documents in exchange for payments of cash bribes,” prosecutors announced Thursday.

During his time as Baraka’s senior aide, “Onque primarily responded to constituent complaints, performed constituent services and worked with organizations in the community,” the Justice Department said in a press release.

Between January 2020 until around December 2022, Onque used his position at City Hall to solicit cash to speed

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