Posted on 04/17/2006 11:01:12 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
CHICAGO (AP) — Former Gov. George Ryan, who drew international praise when he commuted the sentences of everyone on Illinois’ death row, was convicted of racketeering and fraud Monday in a corruption scandal that ended his political career in 2003.
The 72-year-old Republican faces up to 20 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge against him in the 22-count indictment. The jury found Ryan guilty on all charges, including fraud, obstructing the Internal Revenue Service and lying to the FBI.
Co-defendant Larry Warner, a Chicago businessman and Ryan friend, was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy, as well as mail fraud, attempted extortion, illegally structuring bank withdrawals and money laundering.
Ryan was accused of steering big-money state contracts and leases, including a $25 million IBM computer deal, to his friends and political insiders while he was secretary of state in the 1990s and then as governor starting in 1999.
In return for help, he was rewarded with annual winter vacations in Jamaica, stays in Cancun and Palm Springs and gifts ranging from a golf bag to $145,000 in loans to his brother’s business, prosecutors said.
Warner, 67, was one of those beneficiaries and raked in $3 million from Ryan-era deals, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald — who during the trial was also leading the federal investigation into the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity.
Vaya con Dios, a##h###.
Clinton's next???? /sarcasm
The charges against former Gov. George Ryan and lobbyist Lawrence Warner, in a 22-count indictment. Ryan was found guilty on all 18 counts against him. Warner was found guilty on all 12 counts against him:
Count 1, racketeering conspiracy: Ryan and Warner guilty.
Ryan and Warner conspired to defraud the people of Illinois by using Ryan's elected offices for personal gain. Ryan defrauded the state of honest services by funneling lobbying contracts and state leases to Warner and others, using and promoting state employees for political work and gutting the Secretary of State's internal investigation unit.
Counts 2 to 10, mail fraud:
Count 2: Both guilty
Count 3: Both guilty
Count 4:Both guilty
Count 5: Both guilty
Count 6: Both guilty
Count 7: Both guilty
Count 8: Both guilty
Count 9: Ryan guilty
Count 10: Ryan guilty
As part of the conspiracy, Warner and others, including lobbyists Donald Udstuen and Arthur "Ron" Swanson, used the mail to send and receive corrupt payments that benefited themselves and Ryan.
Counts 11 to 13, making false statements to the FBI:
Count 11: Ryan guilty
Count 12: Ryan guilty
Count 13: Ryan guilty
In three interviews with the FBI, Ryan lied to investigators. On Jan. 5, 2000, he said he paid for vacations at the Jamaican villa of businessman Harry Klein, when he knew Klein reimbursed him in cash. On Oct. 16, 2000, he said he never gave Warner advance knowledge about a state lease. On Feb. 5, 2001, he said he did not provide dinner theater owner Anthony De Santis with the names and addresses of family members to skirt campaign donation reporting rules.
Count 14, attempted extortion: Warner guilty.
Warner attempted to extort payments from Chicago-based American Decal Manufacturing, the firm that produced state license plate stickers. Warner, who made some $332,000 from ADM while Ryan was secretary of state, threatened to use his influence with Ryan to end the firm's monopoly on the contract.
Counts 15 and 16, money laundering:
Count 15: Warner guilty
Count 16: Warner guilty
Warner laundered some $45,000 in Ryan-ordered payments to Udstuen through American Management Resources, a firm owned by an Udstuen friend.
Count 17, structuring: Warner guilty.
Warner routinely withdrew cash in amounts under $10,000 to prevent triggering an automatic report to the Internal Revenue Service. As part of that pattern, he cashed personal checks for $9,000 and $5,000 on Aug. 4 and 5, 1997.
Count 18, impeding the IRS: Ryan guilty.
Ryan diverted money from his political fund, Citizens for Ryan, to himself and family members but failed to correctly report the funds to the IRS.
Counts 19 to 22, filing false tax returns:
Count 19: Ryan guilty
Count 20: Ryan guilty
Count 21: Ryan guilty
Count 22: Ryan guilty
Ryan knowingly filed false amended tax returns for 1995-1998.
CHICAGOLAND PING
Politically, Illinois is the pits.
Oh, happy days!!!!!!
My guess is that he will go to jail for quite a spell - I doubt this will be a slap on the wrist...
Ryan should be dragged down the street with a chain around his neck.
Translation: "I should get a pass becasue of who I am.
There's nothing quite so satisfying as seeing arrogance humbled.
Maybe your cell mate will be a murderer who you saved from execution?
If he were a democrat, the AP would have left the 'democrat' part out of the story. When someone is a Republican, that becomes the most important part of the whole article!
When we see indictments and trials for the likes of Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd, Patrick Leahy, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, etc., then I might be impressed.
An appeal could get interesting. Two jurors were forced to resign when it was discovered they'd lied on their juror's questionnaire. Another situation recently came to light when someone who knows a juror (as a client of their establishment) called a Chicago radio talk show and claimed the juror made remarks to him about the trial. While the remarks, both by the juror and phone caller, were innocuous, the judge last week sent the jurors home while holding a closed-door meeting with the prosecution/defense attorneys.
Whether any of this is brought up during appeal remains to be seen. I doubt it would be significant.
Bye bye!
You won't be missed.
Chicago is even worse, can't get rid of Daley but we can get rid of Blago!
If proceedings continue at the pace the prosecution moved, the appeals will still be in court when Ryan dies of old age.
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