INVESTIGATIONS OF PUBLIC CORRUPTION:
Rooting Crookedness Out of Government
3/15/04
Today marks an important anniversary in the annals of public corruption investigations in the U.S.
Twenty years ago today, in a federal courtroom in Chicago, a jury found Harold Conn (top center in photo) guilty on all 4 counts of accepting bribes to be passed on to Cook County judges as payment for fixing tickets. The evidence? He had been caught live on FBI tapes.
This "bagman" had been Deputy Traffic Court Clerk in the Cook County judicial system, and he was the first defendant to be found guilty in a mammoth sting investigation of crooked officials in the Cook County courts.
It was called OPERATION GREYLORD, named after the curly wigs worn by British judges. And in the end -- through undercover operations that used honest and very courageous judges and lawyers posing as crooked ones... and with the strong assistance of the Cook County court and local police -- 92 officials had been indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and 1 state legislator. Nearly all were convicted, most of them pleading guilty (just a few are shown in our photo). It was an important first step to cleaning up the administration of justice in Cook County.
That's really the whole point. Abuse of the public trust cannot and must not be tolerated. Corrupt practices in government strike at the heart of social order and justice. And that's why the FBI has the ticket on investigations of public corruption as a top priority.
How'd that happen? Historically, of course, these cases were considered local matters. A county court clerk taking bribes? Let the county handle it.
But in the 1970s, state and local officials asked for help. They didn't have the resources to handle such intense cases, and they valued the authority and credibility that outside investigators brought to the table. By 1976, the Department of Justice had created a Public Integrity Section, and the FBI was tasked with the investigations, focusing on major, systemic corruption in the body politic.
Who's
investigated? Public servants: members of Congress and state
legislatures; members of the Administration and governors’ offices; judges
and court staffs; all of law enforcement; all government agencies. Plus
everyone who works with government and is willing to pay for "special
favors": lobbyists, contractors, consultants, lawyers, U.S. businesses in
foreign countries, you name it.
What kind of crimes? Bribery, kickbacks, and fraud. Vote
buying, voter intimidation, impersonation. Political coercion. Racketeering
and obstruction of justice. Trafficking of illegal drugs.
How serious of a problem is it? Last year the FBI investigated 850 cases; brought in 655 indictments/informations; and got 525 who were either convicted or chose to plead.
Last words: Straight from Teddy Roosevelt: "Unless a man is honest we have no right to keep him in public life, it matters not how brilliant his capacity, it hardly matters how great his power of doing good service on certain lines may be... No man who is corrupt, no man who condones corruption in others, can possibly do his duty by the community."
Operation Greylord Convictions
Date: 11/13/92
|
Name |
Position |
No. Of
Counts/Charges |
|
|
Arguilla, Hugo A. |
Attorney |
2 filing false tax |
|
|
Barnett, Lee |
Attorney |
2 Rico, 9 mail fraud |
|
|
Bastianoni, Lebert D. |
Attorney |
2 aiding and abetting 4-filling false tax |
|
|
Becker, Harlan (1 of 2) |
Attorney |
2-rico, 4-mail fraud 2-false tax |
12/18/85 |
|
Becker, Harlan |
Attorney |
1-Rico Conspiracy, 1-rico bribery |
10/13/87 |
|
Berliant, Jerry B. |
Attorney |
3-tax |
|
|
Blanco, Gaetano |
Deputy Sheriff |
T.18,s242 (misd) |
6-months probation |
|
Birnbaum, Neal (1 of 2) |
Attorney |
2-Rico 3-mail fraud |
12/18/85 |
|
Birnbaum, Neal (2 of 2) |
Attorney |
1 Rico 10-Hobbs Act Extortion |
10/13/87 |
|
Blackwood, Ira J. |
Police Officer |
1-Rico 10-Hobbs Act Extortion |
|
|
Boton, Dale |
Attorney |
4-failing to file income tax |
|
|
Brady, John W. |
Attorney |
1-Rico conspiracy, 3-mail fraud, 3- Aiding and abetting |
|
|
Brandstein, Howard |
Attorney |
2-Rico Conspiracy, 6-mail fraud, 2-Tax failure to pay |
|
|
Braverman, Blair I. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Conspiracy |
|
|
Burnside, Houston |
Attorney |
3-Tax |
|
|
Campbell, Bruce L. |
Attorney |
1-Rico, 1 – tax |
|
|
Canavan, Karl |
Attorney |
2-filling false tax return |
|
|
Canoff, James T. |
Asst. Corp. Counsel |
1-Rico Bribery, 18-mail fraud, 1 obstruction |
|
|
Carroll, John Paul |
Attorney |
3-Tax false filing |
|
|
Conn, Harold |
Deputy Clerk Circuit Court |
1-Rico, 9- Hobbs |
|
|
Costello, James J. |
Attorney |
1-Rico, 23-mail fraud |
|
|
Daniels, Robert (1 of 2) |
Attorney |
2-Rico, 5-mail fraud, 2-tax |
2-17-87 |
|
Daniels, Robert |
Attorney |
1-Rico bribery, 1-Rico Conspiracy |
10/27/88 |
|
Davino, Vincent |
Attorney |
2-Rico, 4-mail fraud |
|
|
Delbeccaro, Thomas F. |
Attorney |
2-mail fraud |
|
|
Deleo, James A. |
State Rep. |
1-filing false statement |
|
|
Devine, John J |
Judge |
1-Rico, 25-Hobbs Act Extortion, 21 mail fraud |
15-years 12-18-84 deceased |
|
Dineff, David C. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Conspiracy |
Acquitted |
|
Dineff, Louis C. |
Attorney |
1 Rico Bribery, 1-Rico Conspiracy |
plea |
|
Gardner, Thurman |
Attorney |
4-tax |
|
|
Glecier, Daniel P |
Judge |
1-Rico Conspiracy |
6 yrs, 50K fine |
|
Goldstein, Richard H. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Conspiracy, 1-tax |
|
|
Gonzales, Alphonse C. |
Attorney |
1-Racketeering,
5-extortion, 1-Obstruction, 1-perjury, 2-failure to file tax, 1- tax
false return |
|
|
Hardin, Al |
Deputy Sheriff |
2-Rico, 1 Tax false |
deceased |
|
Hegarty, James |
Police Officer |
1-tax |
|
|
Hernandez, Tony |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-Rico Bribery, 1-Hobbs Act Extortion |
|
|
Hogan, Martin F. |
Judge |
1-Rico
Bribery, 1-Rico Consp., 3-filling false tax |
10 yrs, 5 yrs probation |
|
Holzer, Reginald J. |
Judge |
1-Rico,
4-Hobbs Act Extortion, 34-mail fraud |
18 yrs, reduced to 13 |
|
Hutson, Paul |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-tax false statement |
|
|
Jaffe, Harry |
Attorney |
2-Rico-1Bribery
and 1 conspiracy, 9 mail fraud |
|
|
Attorney |
2-filing false income tax return |
|
|
|
Kangalos, Thomas G. |
Attorney |
1-Rico, 5- Hobbs Act, 1-Obstruction |
FUGITIVE |
|
Kanter, Melvin |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery |
|
|
Kaplan, Edward |
Attorney |
3 Tax |
|
|
Kaye, Alan |
Cook County Dep. Sheriff |
1-Rico,
1-mail fraud, 6-Hobbs Act Corruption of Public Officials |
|
|
Kohn, Jerome |
Deputy Sheriff |
2-Rico, 2-mail fraud, 2- tax false statement |
|
|
Attorney |
2-false tax statements |
|
|
|
LaPalombella, Mick |
Clerk |
1-tax |
|
|
Laurie, John G. |
Judge |
1-Rico, 3-Hobbs Act Extortion |
Acquitted |
|
LeFevour, James |
Chicago Police Officer |
3-tax |
|
|
LeFevour, Richard F. |
Judge |
1-Rico
(predicate Acts), 66-mail fraud, 5-tax |
12 years |
|
Lemanski, Henry F. |
Clerk |
|
|
|
Lindeman, Gregory S. |
CBA Clerk |
2-failing to file |
|
|
Maher, Francis J., Sr. |
Judge |
1-Rico Bribery 1-Rico Conspiracy |
Acquittal 10/04/88 |
|
Mann, Bernard M. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery 1-tax |
|
|
McCarron, James A. |
Attorney |
3-filing false statement |
|
|
McCauslin, Arthur |
Chicago Police Off. |
2-tax |
|
|
McLain, Lawrence |
Chicago Police Off. |
2-tax |
|
|
McCollom, John H. |
Judge |
1-Rico Bribery, 18 mail fraud, 2-tax |
11 Yrs., 5 yrs. Probation |
|
McDermott, Joseph E. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery, 1 filling false return |
|
|
McDonnell, John J. |
Judge |
1-Rico Bribery, 2-Hobbs, 1- obst, 3-tax |
8-23-89 – 6 years |
|
McNulty, Michael E. |
Judge |
3-filing false tax |
2-2-88
–3 yrs, 3-years probation, 600hrs comm. serv. $15K fine |
|
Meczyk, Ralph E. |
Attorney |
4-tax false statement, 2-aiding & abetting |
|
|
Messinger, Jay T. |
Attorney |
1-mail fraud |
|
|
Mirabella, Frank |
Deputy Sheriff |
2-Rico, 1-false |
|
|
Murphy, John M. |
Judge |
1 Rico, 7-Hobbs, 16 Mail Fraud. Influence Disposition of Criminal Cases |
8-8-84 – 10yrs, 10 yrs, 5 yrs. (to run concurrently) |
|
Noland, James E. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery, 1 tax |
|
|
Nydam, Edward E. |
Attorney |
1-mail Fraud |
|
|
Oakey, James (1 of 2) |
Attorney |
2-Rico, 11-fraud, 4-tax |
5-15-87 |
|
Oakey, James (2 of 2) |
Attorney |
1-Rico Consp., 1-Rico Bribery |
2-01-89 Plead |
|
Olson, Wayne W. |
Judge |
1-Rico
Bribery, 23-Hobbs Act, 32-mail Fraud |
12 years, 5 yrs. Probation, 35K fine |
|
Pezzopane, Richard J. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Consp., 4 Plea mail fraud |
|
|
Phillips, John G. |
Attorney |
1-Hobbs Act Extortion |
Acquittal |
|
Polikoff, Cary N. |
Attorney |
2-mail fraud |
|
|
Reilly, William F. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery, 1 false tax statement |
|
|
Reynolds, John F. (1
of 2) |
Judge |
2-Rico,
1-Consp., 1-Bribery, 25 mail fraud, 6-Hobbs Act, 3-false tax |
7-31-86, 10-years, 33K fine |
|
Reynolds, John F. |
Judge |
2- Perjury |
4-27-88, 2yrs., 2yrs Probation |
|
Robinson, Lucius (1 of 2) |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-false claim against gov’t |
3-30-88 |
|
Robinson, Lucius (2 of 2) |
Deputy Sheriff |
2-perjury |
|
|
Rosenbloom, Mark |
Attorney |
2-filling a false tax |
|
|
Roth, Bruce |
Attorney |
2-Rico
Bribery, 2-Hobbs Act-Extor., 8-mail fraud, 1-obstr. |
|
|
Ruben, Steve |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-tax |
|
|
Ryan, Patrick |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-Rico, 1 tax false statement |
|
|
Schachter, Martin |
Attorney |
1-mail fraud |
|
|
Seaman, Roger |
Judge |
2-mail fraud, 1 tax |
5-yrs-reduced to 4, 2yrs probation |
|
Smoluch, Walter J. Jr. |
Atty-Asst Corp Cnsl |
2-tax |
|
|
Sodini, Raymond |
Judge |
2-Rico, 26-mail fraud, 1-tax |
8 yrs., 5-yrs. Probation, 750 hrs Community service |
|
Solomon, Frederic |
Attorney |
4-tax false |
|
|
Trunzo, James |
Police Officer |
1-Rico, 6-Hobbs-Extortion, 2-tax |
|
|
Trunzo, James (2 of 2) |
Police Officer |
1-Rico, 5-Hobbs, 2-tax |
10-19-84 |
|
Vandigo, Norman A. |
Attorney |
2-false statements |
|
|
Ward, John J. |
Attorney |
2-mail fraud |
Overturned |
|
Wertz, Phillip |
Attorney |
1-Rico Consp., 3-mail fraud |
|
|
Wexler, I. Bruce |
Attorney |
2-tax filing false |
|
|
Wolfson, Dean S. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery, 4-mail fraud |
|
|
Worsek, Earnest |
Realtor |
1-Rico Consp., 10-mail fraud, 1-tax |
|
|
Yasak, Joseph A. |
Police Officer |
1-perjury |
|
|
Yokas, Nick |
Deputy Sheriff |
1-tax |
|
|
Yonan, Cyrus Jr. |
Attorney |
1-Rico Bribery, 8-mail fraud, 3-rico Bribery, 8 mail fraud |
|
|
Zimmerman, Arthur |
Attorney |
2-filing false tax |
|
18 USCA 1951 - The Hobbs Act *
(a) Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by ROBBERY or EXTORTION or attempts or CONSPIRES so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. * (b) As used in this section - + (1) The term ''robbery'' means the unlawful taking or OBTAINING of personal property from the person or in the presence of another, AGAINST HIS WILL, by means of actual or threatened force, or violence, or FEAR OF INJURY, immediate or future, to his PERSON or property, or property in his custody or possession, or the person or property of a relative or member of his family or of anyone in his company at the time of the taking or OBTAINING. + (2) The term ''extortion'' means the obtaining of PROPERTY from another, WITH HIS CONSENT, induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or FEAR, or under color of official right. + (3) The term ''commerce'' means commerce within the District of Columbia, or any Territory or Possession of the United States; all commerce between any point in a State, Territory, Possession, or the District of Columbia and any point outside thereof; all commerce between points within the same State through any place outside such State; and all other commerce over which the United States has jurisdiction. [Leaving the simple meaning of commerce: the exchange of goods and services, to be understood. There is no indication in the statutory language that the underlying simple meaning of "commerce" or that specifically define in paragraph (b)(3) should be necessarily be construed on a large scale.] - wch * (c) This section shall not be construed to repeal, modify or affect section 17 of Title 15, sections 52, 101-115, 151-166 of Title 29 or sections 151-188 of Title 45.