Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: The FBI's office in Newark, New Jersey, got word that a court clerk in the Newark Municipal Court was taking bribes…

Mr. Quinn: "This case began with a phone call; anonymous tip that came into the office."

Mr. Schiff: FBI Special Agent Sean Quinn was one of the investigators along with the Newark Police Department…

Mr. Quinn: "We decided that we need to have proof, obviously, that the wrong-doing was underway at the municipal court. And the only thing we could see that would work, by way of gaining evidence, would be sending an undercover agent in there to try and duplicate what we heard the municipal clerk was doing for other people, and that's exactly what we did."

Mr. Schiff: Quinn says the corrupt clerk took money to clean criminal records so people could get jobs. Basically he was changing official records by removing, say drug charges, so people could get clearances and jobs…

Mr. Quinn: "Give you an example: if you were trying to get a job at the Port Authority here in Newark, New Jersey, you would have to get a security clearance. If you had a criminal history, you wouldn't get the clearance, there, you wouldn't get the job."

Mr. Schiff: The clerk pleaded guilty to extortion of $4,000 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. I'm Neal Schiff of the Bureau and that's the FBI's Closed Case of the Week."