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Feds: Red Light Camera Firm Paid For Chicago Official's Car, Condo
An anonymous reader writes "The former CEO of Redflex, a major red light camera vendor, and John Bills, former Managing Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Transportation, have been indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from a contract with the City of Chicago. According to the indictment, a friend of Bills was hired as a contractor and paid $2 million. Much of that money was then kicked back to Bills, who also got a Mercedes and a condominium via Redflex employees. The defendants are facing 23 counts including: mail fraud, wire fraud, and bribery. Each fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years."
What an odd name for a car.
Anything from Chicago. ......
What, you think that these cameras were set up after a careful consideration of how to balance the needs and rights of the citizenry against the desire to improve traffic conditions? No, it's based on lobbying by the camera sales staff, promising easy money in return for a right to prey on the citizenry. This being Chicago, some of the easy money was kicked-back to the local politicians, but the process isn't really that much different in regions where there is enough moral fiber for the state to keep all of the proceeds.
When you do this for a member of congress, it's called Lobbying, when it do it for lesser politicians, they call it a bribe. Guess these peeps are finding out the hard way.
Be seeing you...
The city has an endemic culture of corruption, officials should be treated with skepticism in all affairs.
I'm sure we can rule out posting offtopic as a possibility.
And just like for for profit prisons, they have to generate more money each quarter. It's the way of business. Which is why neither should be done on a for profit mode
We've already had examples of shortening yellow light duration to make certain that more people are fined, more profits. This has already caused rear ending crashes to increase as people bitten once jam on the sprags once they see the yellow light. (not to excuse tailgating - it shouldn't be done.
And the amount of revenue generated has to be significant if they consider expensive cars and condos as a cost of doing business.
But after doing things like shortening yellow lights to increase profit, what's next? Hey who knows? Maybe hire a few graphic artists and do matching of redlight cam photos and photoshop license plates on 'em of owners of similar cars.
Technology is awesome! But the shareholders must be served.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
They settle out of court for 1M, he'll get to keep the car named condo and nothing will come of it. The city needs the revenue too badly to take the cameras down. Remember kids, white collar crime *does* pay!
Actually Mel Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, U.S. according to wikipedia.
He did attend acting school in Australia though so you can blame them for his acting skill.
Maybe since Mel Gibson was born in America, of an American father, and lived there until he was 10, he shouldn't really be counted as Australian. On second thought, he's Australian.
What usually happens there is that you get a job with a lobbying firm or their clients when you leave. There is no direct tit for tat, it is just a generally understood thing. They lobby you, you do what they want. When you leave, they'll pay you very well to then go and continue lobbying the next guy. Extremely shady, but not outright illegal.
This sounds like a straight up bribe, which is illegal, money in exchange for a contract.
Don't forget about Rolf Harris and his wandering hands.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
Well, we really missed all your insightful, on-topic posts in the months you were gone. Thank the lord that you're back here with some more of your erudite posts.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
What's really news is that corruption in Chicago makes the news.
Each fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years."
I wish that you saw more minimum sentences, the maximum sentence seems like something created for sensationalism media because saying "roughly 3 months of actual jail, 9 of house arrest and 2 years of probation" sounds too soft for most crimes, but more accurate than what is implied by the "20 year MAXIMUM!" which sounds appropriately punitive
Lol.
Well duh, this is Chicago. Did you expect different?
The only honest politicians we have here are the ones who at least have the decency to stay bought.
Pump your brakes kid, that man is a national treasure.
Good-bye
I did a right turn at a major intersection but stopped before I turned. When I proceeded, there was several strobe flashes. Scared the crap out of me, muzzle flashes? Heard no gun shots. Lightning? uh clear skies. Am I gonna get socked with a big fine and huge increase of insurance because camera made a mistake? So far it's been months and nothing in the mail (unless there is an outstanding FTA waiting for 10-29), but I don't have that car anymore (bought another recently). Will such strobe lights freak someone out and cause them to t-bone me? I don't travel though that intersection much but when I do there is not much of a choice.
mfwright@batnet.com