A federal judge lamented the pervasiveness of public corruption in Illinois as she ordered a probation sentence for a 14th Ward precinct captain who admitted to lying to the FBI in connection with a bribery probe into former state Sen. Martin Sandoval.
A federal judge on Wednesday lamented the pervasiveness of public corruption in Illinois as she ordered a one-year probation sentence for a longtime Chicago fire inspector and 14th Ward precinct captain who admitted to lying to the FBI in connection with a bribery probe into former state Sen. Martin Sandoval.
Acosta spent decades around some of Chicago’s most colorful — and allegedly corrupt — politicians, watching as a succession of his political mentors were hit with federal charges, including Ald. Fred Roti, the mob-connected leader of the old 1st Ward who went to prison for bribery, and current Ald. Edward Burke, who is awaiting trial on sweeping racketeering charges.
His attorney, Jeffrey Steinback, said Acosta is known for helping people in his neighborhood, including at one point securing laptops and equipment for a local elementary school. Steinback said Acosta suffers from his own health issues while also caring for his daughter, who has Huntington’s disease.
“These lies were not a momentary lapse in judgment,” she said. “They occurred on numerous occasions over multiple years to cover up official misconduct.” “Judges in this building are so weary of public corruption … so the sentences in those cases are becoming harsher,” she said.An old-school remnant of Chicago Democratic machine politics, Acosta is among those who have pleaded guilty in a sprawling corruption probe that has so far led to charges against more than half a dozen elected officials and other political operatives.
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