From the Chicago Tribune

Hired Truck 'bagman' is sentenced
By Matt O'Connor
Tribune staff reporter
Published September 9, 2005
A former Chicago Water Department official who admitted serving as a "bagman"—collecting bribes from trucking company operators for his boss—was sentenced today to two years and one month in federal prison.
Gerald Wesolowski also was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine and $25,000 forfeiture during a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan.
"I just want to apologize to everyone," Wesolowski told the court. "I made a mistake. In the future, things will work out for me, productively."
Wesolowski could have been sent away for nearly four years, but federal prosecutors recommended the lesser sentence because he is cooperating with the government in its continuing probe of corruption in the city's Hired Truck Program.
He pleaded guilty May 2 to one count of racketeering conspiracy, admitting he collected nearly $200,000 in cash bribes and campaign contributions from trucking companies vying for Hired Truck work. He passed the money to his immediate superior, Donald Tomczak, the former No. 2 official in the Water Department.
Wesolowski said department employees won promotions and raises for campaigning for Mayor Richard Daley, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and others. He also said he directed trucking companies to contribute to the mayor's re-election campaign and the 11th Ward Democratic Organization of Daley's brother.
The defendant's plea agreement marked the first time that prosecutors identified certain campaigns that allegedly benefited from the corruption scheme. None of the campaigns was accused of wrongdoing, and Daley and Emanuel denied through spokesmen that they knew of the improper campaign contributions or work.
A resident of the city's Gold Coast neighborhood, Wesolowski pocketed only about $4,000 in "Christmas bonuses" from the scheme. He is free on bond and must surrender to authorities Nov. 2 to begin serving his sentence.
Tomczak pleaded guilty July 29 to racketeering and tax fraud charges, admitting he pocketed cash bribes and demanded political contributions that together totaled almost $400,000 as the price to obtain work in the Hired Truck Program.
Tomczak also became the first former city official to say in court the city had rigged the hiring process to favor the politically active, in violation of a long-standing court order, the Shakman decree, against patronage hiring for most city jobs.
The Crest Hill resident also is cooperating in the federal probe, and has agreed to testify if necessary and to hand over $175,000 in illicit proceeds. In return, prosecutors have said they would recommend a prison sentence of just under four years for Tomczak. He is free on bond while awaiting sentencing.
mo'connor@tribune.com