Chicago Sun-Times

2 foremen, 3 others face charges

February 26, 2005

BY STEVE WARMBIR Staff Reporter

The steamrolling investigation of Mayor Daley's scandal-scarred Hired Truck Program plowed deeper into the city's Department of Transportation on Friday. Two former foremen there were indicted along with three others in a scheme to steal city asphalt and use hired trucks to do it.

The latest move by federal prosecutors brings the total number of people charged in the case to 27. Just the day before, six others were charged in connection with an alleged scheme in the city Department of Water Management to shake down trucking firms for bribes and contributions to favored political candidates.

In those charges, Donald Tomczak, a former top official in the city's water department, was accused of using bribe money he allegedly received to spend on gifts for girlfriends who worked for him at the department. The bribes were in exchange for Tomczak giving hired truck work to the business owners, federal prosecutors contend.

Transportation dept. targeted

On Friday, the feds focused on the city's transportation department. Indicted were two former foremen, Patrick Stillo, 50, and Robert Laino, 47, both of Chicago. Stillo had been charged in November, but Friday's announcement marked the first time both men had been indicted.

Stillo and Laino are accused of taking bribes to let hired truck drivers steal city asphalt and deliver it for bribes at private work sites.

One truck driver, Donald Warren, 58, of Robbins, was indicted along with two paving contractors, Eddie Miller, 51, and Willie Brown, 74, both of Chicago.

Those three men made an initial appearance in federal court Friday and were released on their own recognizance.

Federal prosecutors have described the scheme as involving 380 tons of stolen city asphalt sent to private contracting jobs, including one at a parking lot at a West Side church and another that wasn't even in the city -- a parking lot in the northern suburbs.

So in effect, not only were the hired trucks getting paid by the city while doing private jobs. They were also helping steal city asphalt at the same time, according to the charges.

'A good guy'

Federal prosecutors contend that the two paving contractors, Miller and Brown, bribed two hired truck drivers who worked on the city crews supervised by either Stillo or Laino.

Prosecutors did not name those two hired truck drivers but did charge another driver, Warren, with taking bribes to transport the stolen asphalt. The indictment does not specify what trucking firm Warren worked for, but city records show that it was BBD Trucking Co. Inc. That firm has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Stillo and Laino allegedly shared in the bribes, according to the feds.

Federal prosecutors have said such bribes would typically be $350 per load of asphalt to be split among the people involved in the scheme.