Indictment: South Orange Man Conspired to Set Newark Mayor's Campaign Bus on Fire

A South Orange resident has been indicted for conspiring to set Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s campaign bus on fire last February.

Shareef Nash, 36, of South Orange and Michael Benkowski, 43, of Newark were indicted by an Essex County Grand Jury on Friday on counts of arson, conspiracy, burglary, and criminal mischief.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Nash was the president of Jeffries’ Central Ward campaign office. Jeffries ran an unsuccessful campaign against Mayor Baraka.

Benkowski, whom Nash allegedly hired to start the blaze, was a paid canvasser for then mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries. The fire was set inside the campaign bus when sugar was poured into the gas tank.

The Grand Jury indicted Benkowski, a paid canvasser for then mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries, on one count of first degree arson for hire, one count of third degree conspiracy to commit arson, one count of third degree arson, one count of third degree burglary and one count of third degree criminal mischief.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s office stated that South Orange resident Shareef Nash is free on $200,000 bail. Benkowski is currently being held on $200,000 bail at the Essex County Correctional Facility. Nash is free on $200,000 bail. If found guilty of the charges, both defendants are facing 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison for the first degree arson for hire.