Former Englishtown Councilman and Son Indicted by State Grand Jury in Loansharking, Extortion and Money Laundering Case with Rates over 50%
New Jersey — Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on October 30 that a state grand jury has indicted three men for allegedly running a loansharking, extortion and money-laundering operation that relied on intimidation and violent threats to collect debts, including former Englishtown councilman John E. Alite and his son.
The elder Alite, 64, was removed from his council seat after his initial arrest on June 19. He now faces multiple second-degree charges, including theft by extortion, corporate misconduct, usury and money laundering, alongside third-degree counts of terroristic threats and conspiracy. His son, John P. Alite, 35, of neighboring Manalapan, was indicted on usury, conspiracy and money-laundering charges. The third defendant, Stephen Locrotondo, 68, of Bridgewater, was indicted on usury, extortion, corporate misconduct, conspiracy and money laundering.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, the elder Alite issued illicit loans at annual interest rates exceeding 50 percent and threatened borrowers with violence when they fell behind; the original loans were made in late 2024 and the threats continued for more than a year. A search of his Main Street home in Englishtown turned up about six baseball bats, two blackjacks, metal knuckles, an expandable baton, a switchblade and roughly two dozen other knives, along with unprescribed anabolic steroids.
The case was investigated by the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption North Unit, and a deputy attorney general in the Division of Criminal Justice is leading the prosecution.
Source: GSM America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：New Jersey State House north panorama。来源：Wikimedia Commons（Niagara，CC BY-SA 3.0）
