Modern-Day Atlantic City May Be More like “Boardwalk Empire” Than We Thought

Thanks to the rampant popularity of the HBO TV series “Boardwalk Empire,” which premiered in 2010, Atlantic City has been portrayed in pop culture as a city with a dark side, a seedy underbelly where illegal activity takes place and corruption flourishes.

As it turns out, that imagined version of New Jersey’s gambling mecca isn’t terribly far off when it comes to one former Atlantic City official.

Logan Holt, 55, pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to charges of accepting cash bribes in exchange for dismissing fines and turning a blind eye to regulation infringement.

According to court documents, Holt, a former inspector with the Atlantic City Department of Licenses and Inspections, accepted an $800 bribe from a taxi driver in exchange for recommending that two tickets written to the driver be dismissed. Holt also admitted to accepting a $250 bribe from the same driver a month later in exchange for allowing the taxi, which reportedly had several violations of vehicle conditions regulations, to pass city inspection.

According to the state’s investigation of Holt, he also accepted cash bribes from the owners of several “stress therapy” and massage businesses on Atlantic and Pacific Avenues in exchange for not enforcing ordinances governing their operation.

Holt will be sentenced this coming November, when the state will recommend that he receive five years in state prison and be ruled ineligible for parole for two years and three months. As a result of his conviction, he will also be permanently barred from public employment in the state.

The State’s Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau has a confidential tip line that allows members of the public to report corruption, financial crime and illegal activities. Reports can be made over the phone at 1-866-TIPS-4CJ or online at www.njdcj.org.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a white collar crime like bribery, you need effective defense immediately. Contact the Law Offices of John W. Tumelty today for a free consultation.