Feb 5, 2009 6:19 pm US/Central
Feds Turn Up Heat On Blagojevich Crony
Feds May Be Trying To Pressure Christopher Kelly Into Testifying Against Ex-Governor
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
-
-
Former Blagojevich fundraiser and chief gambling adviser Chris Kelly (file).
CBS
Federal prosecutors lodged money-laundering charges Thursday against former Gov. Blagojevich adviser and fund-raiser Christopher Kelly.
In a sign the government continues to squeeze the onetime friend of the governor, the charges come just weeks after Kelly pleaded guilty to federal tax charges.
Under the new charges, Kelly is accused of paying $450,000 in kickbacks to a consultant in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $8.5 million in inflated contracts for projects involving the two largest airlines at O'Hare, federal authorities said.
Prosecutors say Kelly funneled more than $1.1 million in ill-gotten funds through his company, BCI Commercial Roofing Inc. He did it, they say, to pay for his gambling debts and other personal debts.
Kelly's lawyer, Michael Monico, said Kelly's company did roofing work at O'Hare for United Airlines and American Airlines.
"It's my understanding that the work he did was of the highest quality and done under extremely difficult circumstances," Monico said. "The airlines were satisfied with both his work and his price."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
