Lamont Baxter, a 49-year-old expediter who spent years smoothing the way for developers in Newark, stood in federal court today and admitted to a litany of crimes: bribing public officials, forging city documents, and swindling COVID relief funds.
U.S. Attorney John Giordano laid out the case—a story of cash-filled envelopes, falsified permits, and pandemic-era greed.
Baxter, who operated as a middleman between developers and city agencies, pleaded guilty to seven counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud, and defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
From 2017 to 2022, Baxter’s job was simple—get things done. For the right price, he could fast-track permits, certificates of occupancy, and approvals. But according to court documents, much of that work relied on bribes. He called it “taking care of” officials—a euphemism for slipping them cash.
One of those officials was former Newark Councilmember Joseph A. McCallum Jr., who had already pleaded guilty in 2022 to taking bribes while in office.
Baxter admitted delivering thousands in cash to McCallum on behalf of a developer seeking approvals for real estate projects.
But Baxter wasn’t just passing along bribes—he was also pocketing money for himself. In one instance, he convinced a developer to hand over $10,000, claiming it was for a city official. Instead, he kept it all.
His schemes didn’t stop there. For years, Baxter and others produced fake city documents—certificates of compliance, cut-in cards for utilities—then sold them to developers and landlords who needed them to move forward with projects.
And when the pandemic hit, Baxter saw another opportunity. He filed fraudulent applications for PPP loans, inflating revenues and even claiming ownership of a lounge he didn’t control. He walked away with over $40,000 in federal relief money meant for struggling businesses.
Now, Baxter faces decades in prison. The bribery charges carry up to 15 years combined, while each wire fraud count could add another 20. His sentencing is set for August 12, 2025.
The case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HUD’s Office of Inspector General. Prosecutors credited the agencies’ work in untangling Baxter’s operations—a web of corruption that, for years, made doing business in Newark a little easier, if you knew who to pay.