Story posted Friday, January 29, 2010
Blase Sentenced To 1 Year, 1 Day In Prison
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Blase (center) leaves the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago after today's sentencing hearing. (Tom Wessell/The Journal)
Following over a year of continuances, former long-time Niles Mayor Nicholas Blase learned his fate today in federal court.
In a downtown Chicago courtroom, Judge Wayne Andersen sentenced Blase to one year and one day in federal prison, plus fines. Under sentencing guidelines Blase could be released in 10-months with good behavior.
Blase is to report to federal prison on Mar. 1 to begin serving his sentence. Where he will be jailed has yet to be determined.
The packed courtroom had the feel of a funeral parlor. Many of Blase's supporters were seen welling up with tears as the sentence was read while quiet sniffling was heard throughout the courtroom gallery.
The frail, 81-year-old Blase was humble and remorseful.
"They (people of Niles) trusted me to put their interests first. I abused that trust and brought shame to myself to my office and to my family," Blase said in court. "I have been outdone by my own greed and I know its not enough to say I'm sorry."
Blase was sentenced to 12 months and one day for each of the two counts of an 11-count indictment he pled guilty to last October. Jail time will be served concurrently before Blase serves an additional two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $125,000 fine.
Including pre-sentencing voluntary payments to Niles' public school districts, restitution already made to the IRS for unreported taxes, and fines, Blase will end up paying a total of $1.1 million as part of his sentencing. Blase attorneys told Judge Andersen that $750,000 will be paid to three school districts serving Niles with Niles-Park Ridge Dist. 64, East Maine Dist. 63 and Culver Dist. 71 receiving $250,000 each to be delivered next week.
Prosecutors asked and Andersen agreed to make the $750,000 payment a condition of sentencing.
Blase served as mayor of Niles for 47 years from 1961 until August 2008. In October 2008 he pled guilty to two counts of an 11-count federal corruption indictment, one relating to tax evasion and one related to the failure of Blase to give his honest services to the people of Niles.
Prosecutors said Blase took kickbacks totaling $421,500 from 1997 to 2006 in exchange for steering companies to the Ralph Weiner & Associates (RWA) insurance company. Once with RWA, businesses were alleged to have received special treatment.
Prosecutors said the relationship with RWA went back to the 1970's but were only able to prove kickbacks for ten years.
The courtroom was overflowing with Blase's friends, family, and supporters including his wife, Fey, and municipal, religious and business leaders including current Mayor Robert Callero and trustees Joe LoVerde and Andrew Przybylo and former trustee George Alpogianis.
Several pled with the judge for leniency citing Blase's health, age and past contributions to the community.
Defense attorneys said a case involving the issue of honest services from public officials is currently before the United States Supreme Court, meaning that what Blase did, while wrong, might not be criminal.
The sentence Andersen handed down was far less than the sentencing guideline of between 41 and 51 months. But it was far more than home confinement the defense was seeking.
While handing down the sentence, Andersen said he was most swayed by a statement Blase made during the two-hour sentencing hearing, saying he did not want Blase to die in prison.
For full coverage of today's hearing, see this Wednesday's edition of the Niles Journal and other Journal & Topics newspapers.
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