Results matching “sanchez on trial”

The conviction of former Streets and Sanitation commissioner Al Sanchez is set to be reviewed by a judge today. Defense attorneys have asked for the review claiming prosecutors failed to reveal certain information about Brian Gabriel, one of their witnesses. According to WBEZ:

Former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez, who was convicted earlier this year on federal corruption charges, is asking for a new trial in light of new developments in the case. Sanchez, who was convicted in March of rigging hiring through his position as a city commissioner and his role in the Hispanic Democratic Organization, has asked the judge for a new trial, citing prosecutors failure to disclose that a key government witness was a high-ranking gang member and drug-trafficker. According to Sanchez's lawyer Thomas Breen, Brian Gabriel, who testified against Sanchez in the corruption trial, was a member of the Spanish Vice Lords. "It is hard to imagine information that is more impeaching of a witness than self-admitted gang membership, even if such membership is in the past," Breen said. "The evidence of gang membership was also no doubt suppressed by the government. The prosecution learned of Gabriel's gang affiliation prior to trial and prior to Gabriel's testimony yet did not disclose it to the defense."

The Sun-Times dug up an obscure piece of testimony from Al Sanchez's corruption trial earlier this year. Referring to Jack Drumgould's statement that the Bureau of Electricity, part of the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation, was known as "Madigan Electric" because of many city workers connections to the state's House Speaker, the paper takes a closer look at campaign contributions to Mike Madigan from bureau employees. "In all, 16 employees of the bureau have contributed a total of $45,200 since 1997 to the speaker's 13th Ward Democratic Organization and to Citizens for Lisa Madigan, according to campaign records," the Sun-Times reports.

The federal corruption trial of former streets and sanitation commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization chief Al Sanchez ended yesterday afternoon in his conviction on four counts of mail fraud. His alleged co-conspirator Aaron DelValle (who ran as a stalking horse against 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis in 2007 in what was largely seen as an HDO vendetta against the alderman) was convicted of perjury.

Former Streets & San head Al Sanchez has been found guilty on four of seven counts of mail fraud. The verdict was read announced around 2:20 p.m. and details are still forthcoming. Aaron Delvalle, Sanchez's former assistant, was found guilty of perjury for lying to a grand jury about the job rigging. [Sun-Times, CBN]

As Al Sanchez's trial on federal corruption charges wound down Wednesday, his lawyers made closing arguments before the jury, painting Sanchez as a community activist, a dedicated public servant, and, most telling, a victim of Mayor Daley's plan to use the city payroll as a reward for political work.

Al Sanchez took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, as the federal corruption trial against him continues. In a move widely expected based on defense attorneys questioning during the prosecution's case, Sanchez blamed much of the patronage hiring on Intergovernmental Affairs Office (IGA). After a week and a half of hearing testimony from current and former city employees who claimed that HDO political workers got first crack at city jobs in Streets and Sanitation, Sanchez testified that he only wanted qualified people to work for him, vehemently dening that he had anything to do with hiring. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Manish Shah asked Sanchez if he was the city's Streets and Sanitation Commissioner, Sanchez replied "I had nothing to do with the hiring." Referring to the IGA, Sanchez said "That's the way it worked."

The prosecution rested its case against Al Sanchez on Monday, after calling patronage workers and Streets and Sanitation insiders to the stand, and former associates from city departments that testified that they helped rig city hiring procedures to steer HDO campaign workers into city jobs.

The federal corruption trial against former Chicago Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez continued with prosecutors calling yet another city worker to the stand, and virtually forcing former HDO worker Aaron DelValle to testify.

The federal corruption trial of Al Sanchez continued yesterday, as prosecutors called Denise Alcantar to the witness stand. Alcantar, who drives a city recycling truck , testified that she was encouraged by other city workers she knew to get involved in the HDO as a means to a city job. When she submitted her application, she turned it in not at City Hall, but at Shy Ways, a Southwest side biker bar where she went to coordinate with HDO leaders about campaign activities she worked on. When she applied for the job, her only prior experience was working as a customer service representative in the private sector, and as an office worker for state Rep. Edward Acevedo, who also had benefited from the HDO's help. Along with illustrating their charges that Sanchez ran a corrupt hiring scheme predicated on political loyalty, prosecutors also sought to demonstrate the reckless and dangerous outcome of patronage hiring.

The past few days of testimony in the Al Sanchez corruption trial have been wrought with allegations - both against Sanchez and the mayor, as well as other, lesser players in the HDO drama. The allegations that federal prosecutors made include the promise of city jobs should Richard Daley win election in 1989. "My understanding was that we would eventually get some political jobs, city jobs" if Daley became mayor, said Raymond Gamboa, a deputy commissioner in the city's General Services Department. Gamboa was describing a meeting that took place in a Southeast side bar in the late 1980's. Gamboa and Sanchez were part of a Hispanic group that was recruited to support the then-State's Attorney for mayor. That group eventually merged with other pro-Daley groups on the South side to become the Hispanic Democratic Organization.

The trial of Al Sanchez, former Streets and Sanitation commissioner and head of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, started in earnest yesterday, as federal prosecutors began their opening statements. Sanchez, who is charged with seven counts of mail fraud, is accused of rigging city hiring to steer HDO workers into city jobs, effectively building a patronage army. According to prosecutors, the hiring and promotion process at City Hall was "rigged -- it was corrupt." Said Assistant U.S. Atty. Steven Grimes, "it was a sham from top to bottom...Mr. Sanchez used city jobs as currency."

The trial of Alfred Sanchez, former commissioner of streets and sanitation, has begun. Sanchez has been charged with fraud in connection with the Hired Truck scandal. Also on trial is Sanchez's aide, Aaron Del Valle. Jury selection should wrap up and opening statements are expected to be issued today. At the time of Sanchez's indictment, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office issued a statement detailing the charges [via Capitol Fax].