Story posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Village Attorney Tries To Clarify Statement On Trustee's Records
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Niles Village Attorney Joe Annunzio is backing away from statements he made late last month claiming newly elected Village Trustee George Alpogianis is not a convicted felon.
"The information used to claim that he (Alpogianis) was a convicted felon was incomplete," Annunzio was quoted as saying in late May. "He's not a convicted felon."
But last week speaking with the Journal & Topics Newspapers, Annunzio tried to clarify his statement saying, "Given the documents I looked at, it (Alpogianis' criminal record) was inconclusive and incom plete."
The Niles Journal first reported Alpogianis' criminal background in February during his successful campaign for village trustee.
Annunzio said he based his earlier statement on a document he obtained through Chicago police that he said did not prove whether Alpogianis was a convicted felon. Annunzio said he did not access records through the Cook County court system, which this newspaper did.
During the campaign, Alpogianis admitted pleading guilty when he was 17 and 19-years-old to charges related to the pipe bombing of a north side Chicago restaurant and a large fight. He said that he believed records were sealed as a juvenile. Records show he was charged as an adult.
In March, Alpogianis' attorney Michael Lavelle said his felony record would not allow him to occupy public office unless Gov. Pat Quinn granted him a pardon, which Lavelle said he would seek.
Last week a spokeswoman for Gov. Quinn said no appeal had been filed on Alpogianis' behalf to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, the first step in that appeals process.
Niles Mayor Robert Callero reportedly said media outlets were spreading "false facts" about Alpogianis' criminal history. Callero did not return calls to the Journal & Topics this week.
During the recent village campaign, the Journal obtained records detailing Alpogianis' record first from the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court and the Cook County State's Attorney's office.
Upon discovering the seriousness of the crimes listed on Alpogianis' record, a Journal & Topics reporter obtained more documentation including police reports, witness lists, court complaints, discovery motions, sentencing and probation records and arrest reports. The newspaper cited "Chicago police and Cook County court records" as sources for its many stories.
The documents show that in the 1980's, Alpogianis was convicted of six counts of aggravated battery related to a melee outside a Chicago house party in 1984 and one count of damage to property related to a 1983 bomb blast caused by "a pipe bomb using black powder" that blew out windows at Wolfy's Restaurant in Chicago.
Alpogianis was sentenced to two years of probation for damage to property and 30 months for six counts of aggravated battery.
One of these documents was a sentencing certificate for the two years of probation signed on May 30, 1984 by Judge Thomas Maloney listed as "criminal damage to property - felony."
When the Journal & Topics recently checked with the court's public information office as to Alpogianis' current criminal record, it listed six counts of felony aggravated battery and one count of misdemeanor damage to property. How or when that record might have been changed from a felony to a misdemeanor is unclear. A spokesperson for the court said computerized records do not show when a record was changed or who changed it, only the original charges and final disposition.
The Cook County State's Attorney recently launched an investigation into Alpogianis' standing to hold his seat as a trustee.
Before Alpogianis pled to reduced charges he was originally charged with nine felony counts of aggravated battery, one count of felony arson, one count of felony possession of an incendiary device, one count of felony damage to property and one count of misdemeanor damage to property. He was sentenced to two years probation for one damage to property charge and 30 months for the six aggravated battery charges after his pleas. Court records also show Alpogianis violated parole once.
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