Chicago bribe case ends in prison time

CHICAGO — A former Chicago transportation official was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for taking bribes to steer $ 100 million in red- light camera contracts to a company in Phoenix.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced John Bills, 55, in Chicago moments after he apologized for his actions. Federal prosecutors had asked the judge for at least a 10- year prison sentence.

The former second- in- command at Chicago’s Department of Transportation was convicted in January of bribery, conspiracy and extortion.

Bills was accused of accepting envelopes stuffed with cash, along with gifts — including condos in two states and a Mercedes — to help Redflex Traffic Systems obtain contracts in a decadelong scheme. Prosecutors said the gifts were worth up to $ 2 million.

Bills’ attorney, Nishay Sanan, had asked for a more lenient sentence of three to four years in prison.

“Mr. Bills is not ex- Gov. Blagojevich,” Sanan told the judge, referring to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving a 14- year prison term. “He’s not selling Senate seats.”

During the trial, a Redflex consultant who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme testified that he passed envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash at a time to Bills at a restaurant.

“This was a decade- long scheme to lie, cheat and steal at the expense of taxpayers,” said U. S. Attorney Zachary Fardon.