Former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony Ragucci pleads guilty to red light camera kickback scheme
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony Ragucci has pleaded guilty to a red light camera kickback scheme.
Ragucci pleaded guilty Monday to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
Prosecutors say Ragucci took $88,000 in kickbacks from a mob-connected businessman and his two stepsons while serving as mayor of Oakbrook Terrace, in exchange for a cut of the town's red light camera fines.
Ragucci is cooperating with federal prosecutors.
The charges carry up to 20 years in prison, but could be reduced if he continues to cooperate in the probe.
Hours after Ragucci's guilty plea, brothers James Colucci and Joseph Colucci pleaded not guilty to an indictment in the same scheme, charging each of them with four counts of wire fraud.
The charges do not identify the red light camera company involved in the case, but according to published reports, the company is SafeSpeed, which has been connected to multiple other cases involving SafeSpeed representatives paying bribes to local politicians.
SafeSpeed has denied any wrongdoing, and has not been charged in any of the cases.
SafeSpeed has said any bribes offered by former employees or representatives were made without the company's knowledge.
In a statement, the company said:
SafeSpeed's goal has always been to provide a service that helps save lives. As new developments in federal investigations come to light, SafeSpeed remains both shocked and saddened that one of its former colleagues was engaged in criminal conduct and recruited outside individuals to help further his self-serving activities. Their actions were clearly in their own self-interest and done without SafeSpeed's knowledge and undercut the important work SafeSpeed does.
The criminal activity of a few individuals does not and should not reflect the values and integrity of SafeSpeed, its employees, and its clients. SafeSpeed built its business on integrity and ethics, and it holds its employees and representatives to the highest standards of conduct and ethics. SafeSpeed has long since terminated all contact with its former colleague and his associates.
SafeSpeed remains committed to continuing to assist Illinois municipalities in improving traffic safety. SafeSpeed fully supports the federal government's investigation into public corruption and will continue to aid their efforts in any way it can.
