Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Connection with Scheme Involving Forged Paterson Zoning Certificates in Exchange for Illegal Payments 

TRENTON — Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today announced that three defendants, including a Paterson zoning inspector, have pleaded guilty for their roles in providing applicants for city permits with fraudulent Paterson zoning permits bearing forged signatures in exchange for payment.

Jose Fermin, 54, of Prospect Park, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2026 to conspiracy to commit official misconduct (2nd degree) during a hearing before Judge Sohail Mohammed in the Passaic County Superior Court. On the same date, Fermin’s accomplice, Jose Juan Guerrero-Cruz, 46, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, entered a guilty plea before Judge Imre Karaszegi to official misconduct (3rd degree) during a hearing in which he admitted his role in assisting Fermin with the fraudulent permit scheme.

Previously, the third defendant, Alfonlly Monegro-Camilo, 28, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, before Judge Karaszegi to forgery (3rd degree) and acknowledged Fermin and Guerrero-Cruz’s involvement in the criminal scheme.

“Each and every day members of the public follow the rules expecting that the officials they interact with will do the same. The defendants in this case exploited their positions of public trust for their own personal gain,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Corruption at every level of government is unacceptable, and our office will continue working to ensure that public officials are held to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. When they don’t, they will be held accountable.”

As set forth in publicly filed documents in this case, the conspiracy unfolded between roughly December 2020 and February 2022.

The investigation revealed that Fermin and his co-defendants arranged to supply applicants for official city permits with illegitimate zoning permits for residential construction and other bogus documents that included the forged signature of Paterson’s Planning and Zoning Director. Some applicants were told they could receive sham permits without even submitting building plans. Fermin received payments in exchange for producing those forged, illegitimate documents.

On February 20, 2024, a state grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Fermin as well as co-defendant Guerrero-Cruz. On October 1, 2025, the state grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding Monegro-Camilo as an additional defendant in the case.

Monegro-Camilo is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2026. Guerrero-Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2026. Fermin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2026.

Pursuant to Fermin’s plea agreement, the State will recommend that he, the city zoning inspector, be sentenced to three years in state prison. As a consequence of his guilty plea, Fermin was also ordered to immediately forfeit all public employment and will be permanently disqualified from holding any future public office or employment in New Jersey.

Pursuant to their plea agreements, the State will recommend that defendant Guerrero-Cruz be sentenced to a term of probation, with the condition that he serve 364 days in county jail, and that defendant Monegro-Camilo be sentenced to a term of noncustodial probation.

This investigation was conducted by detectives from OPIA’s Corruption Bureau. The case was prosecuted and the pleas were taken by Deputy Attorneys General Lisa Cialino and Adam Gerken for the OPIA Corruption Bureau.

Defense counsel:

For Fermin: Darryl Richardson, Esq., Freehold, New Jersey

For Guerrero-Cruz: James Durgana, Esq., of West Caldwell, New Jersey

For Alfonlly Monegro-Camilo: John C. Grey, Esq., of Rockaway, New Jersey