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Wow.
Longtime Niles Mayor Nicholas B. Blase was arrested today on federal corruption charges for accepting kickbacks in a scheme that authorities alleged went back at least 17 years.In a criminal complaint unsealed this morning, Blase—whose 78th birthday is today—was charged with one count of mail fraud for allegedly steering local businesses to buy insurance from Ralph Weiner & Associates, which kicked back bribes to the mayor.
Steven Weiner, president and co-owner of the Wheeling insurance agency, was also charged today with one count of mail fraud.
The U.S. attorney’s office has scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. today. Blase, of Niles and Weiner, 53, of Northbrook are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court at 2 p.m.
In interviews with the Tribune on Tuesday, Blase, mayor of the north suburb since 1961, denied wrongdoing and Weiner declined to comment.
The Tribune, citing an FBI sworn statement since sealed by court order, reported Wednesday that federal agents raided Weiner’s insurance agency on Tuesday as part of a probe into the alleged kickback scheme.
According to the charges, Blase used his position as mayor since at least 1989 to influence business owners in Niles to buy insurance through the Weiner agency.
In return, Weiner and the agency paid bribes and kickbacks to Blase by secretly funneling a percentage of the premiums and fees collected from clients who owned businesses in Niles.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 12:25 pm
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Each of them had ONE count. Can you say “stepping stone”?? I bet they are being pressured to talk - but about WHOM?
Someone other than these two is sweating now, or will when they hear of it.
Comment by Pat the C (back to anon, AGAIN) Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 12:52 pm
He’s a Democrat also. Committeeman for Maine Twp.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 1:12 pm
He is not the Committeeman for Maine Township. That’s Laura Murphy. I understand since you are a right winger, you have a looser defintion of truth than most of us, but Blaise hasn’t been committeeman for at least 6 years.
Comment by Truthiness Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 1:17 pm
Truthiness…wow, great comeback!! You sure showed him. Pow, Zing!
Comment by Stewart Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 1:57 pm
The reality is Blase has not been convicted (yet) but he is a long-time Democrat partisan pol. He was Maine Twp Democrat Committeeman and has long ties to local and state Dems…1 count must mean they are looking for a bigger (Dem) fish…interesting.
Comment by bipartisan Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 2:20 pm
What about the Mayor for that big city South of Niles?
Comment by Ashur Odishoo Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 2:21 pm
What a drag it must be to be a Ravenswood right winger! Must be like being an Ill. Nazi in the movie Blues Brothers!
Comment by Gollygee Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 2:32 pm
You’re right, Truthiness. He formerly served as Committeeman. Just think, if he had only beaten Abe Mikva, all of this could have been avoided!
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 2:44 pm
wouldn’t that be niles township?
Comment by corvax Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 3:00 pm
Weiner traded money for business? Sounds like a prostitution case….
Comment by Lovie's Leather Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 3:29 pm
He was the longtime Democrat Committeeman of Maine Twp not Niles Twp even though it is the Village of Niles.
Comment by bipartisan Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 3:35 pm
Nothing like this, of course, would ever happen in Chicago. I’m sure the Mayor doesn’t even know anyone that sells insurance.
Comment by Pingu Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 3:47 pm
I was wondering why his party was not mentioned. Maine Township is totlally screwed up, GOP and Dem even if he is only former committeman.
Comment by Wumpus Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 4:09 pm
We used to run a tavern in Niles. Enough said.
Comment by Truthful James Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 4:14 pm
Huh. I used to drink in a tavern in Niles. Big Honking Deal.
One Count of Mail Fraud
Four years of investigations How many millions of agent salaries, travel, phone taps, etc.. etc.
Anyone ever question the waste of resources here.
Just think of how many gay marriages could have been stopped or illegals gunned down at the border if our federal agents had been deployed in the real hot spots.
Heck if they just did more Halliburton audits they could found more.
Comment by NilesNoodler Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 4:34 pm
cal sutker would have been the longtime democratic committeeman of niles township…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 4:42 pm
Getting out so entrenched a crook is worth every penny. Now to sell insurance in Niles.
Comment by Merlin Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 5:32 pm
I’m sickened. Not at the corruption, but I’m an Illinoisan, and, well, I’m used to corruption on a grander scale. One count just seems so, so … paltry.
Comment by cermak_rd Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 6:57 pm
One count…
That’s where the Fed’s start - Then there’s this little thing called “SI” which are issued all the time from the different Federal Grand Juries, otherwise known as “Superceding Indictments”.
Wait for it….
Comment by Making The Wheels Turn Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 7:03 pm
Laura Murphy could be lots of help here. She helped Billy Marovitz. Laura is from Park Ridge and than ended up in Des Plaines to help with O’Hare Airport Expansion, “Connecting the Dots”. Almost there. Thanks F.B.I.
Comment by Patrick McDonough Thursday, Jun 8, 06 @ 9:35 pm
so does this means mr.blase wil never come back to being mayor of Niles again? and isn’t Andrew Przbylo presume if blase doesnt came back?
Comment by R. Kelly Saturday, Jun 10, 06 @ 5:15 am