Chalet’s sentencing has been re-scheduled, now for Feb. 23

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The sentencing of former Bloomfield Councilman Elias Chalet, scheduled in Newark Superior Court for Friday, Jan. 19, has been adjourned to Friday, Feb. 23. No reason for the postponement was provided by the state Office of the Attorney General, when contacted.
The sentencing has been delayed numerous times.

Chalet, 55, was indicted Jan. 29, 2016, on five counts, including bribery. Judge Martin Cronin had ruled Nov. 5, 2016, that the charges would not be dropped and Chalet had to decide if he would admit his guilt and accept a plea deal, or go to trial. On Dec. 19, 2016, Cronin gave Chalet until Jan. 20, 2017, to decide.

But at a brief hearing on that date, Chalet was given an extension to Feb. 24, 2017. That date was changed to March 1, 2017, when Chalet was offered a sentence of seven years with three years of parole eligibility by the prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General Brian Faulk. Chalet rejected the offer and a trial date was scheduled for May 16, 2017.

But at a hearing on May 9, 2017, Chalet pleaded guilty to bribery and the remaining four charges against him were dismissed. In return for his plea, Chalet was to be sentenced to five years in prison with the possibility of parole after two years. Sentencing was scheduled for July 24, 2017. At that hearing, Chalet’s attorney, Peter Till, said a 600-page cardiologist’s report had been submitted to the court the week before and time was needed to consider it. Chalet had had open heart surgery in April 2016. Sentencing was rescheduled for Oct. 6, 2017.

The October date was subsequently postponed to Nov. 14, 2017, then Jan. 19, 2018, and is now set for Feb. 23.
Chalet was arrested Nov. 16, 2015.