Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Up To 51 Months For Blase?
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Federal prosecutors want former Niles Mayor Nicholas Blase to spend the next 41 to 51 months behind bars in a federal prison, while Blase in a recent filing is asking for home confinement.
Blase, 81, who served as mayor of Niles for 47 years and was Maine Township Democratic committeeman, is to appear in federal court before Judge Wayne Andersen this Friday for sentencing on federal corruption charges that he pled guilty to in 2008.
Blase's sentencing hearing was continued four times in 2009 at the request of both prosecutors and defense attorneys.
According to prosecutors, Blase and co-defendant Steve Weiner were engaged in a scheme to strong-arm companies wishing to do business in Niles to take out insurance policies with Weiner's company, Wheeling based Ralph Weiner and Associates (RWA), for which Weiner allegedly paid Blase $421,450 in kickbacks. Blase pled guilty to two counts of mail fraud.
The scheme is alleged to have gone on between 1997 and 2006. At the time, RWA was located in Niles. Blase was handcuffed and taken from his home while in his slippers by federal agents on June 8, 2006.
Blase's last sentencing hearing was to be held last June just two days after Weiner pled guilty to one count of mail fraud for his part in the scheme.
In August 2008, Blase retired as mayor after a 47-year tenure serving from 1961 through 2008.
The former mayor has remained involved in village politics behind the scenes. He was a solid supporter of current Mayor Robert Callero and his slate of trustees all of who won in last April's election.
Weiner pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and has had one continuance. No new date has been set for Weiner's sentencing.
The federal government filed papers last week asking for the 41 to 51 month prison sentenced. On Monday of this week, Blase's attorney filed a 31-page sentencing memo, accompanied by hundreds of pages of exhibits and letters of support, seeking a sentence of home confinement.
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