UIC foreman chargedwith taking bribes to steer elevator repair work
An elevator foreman at the University of Illinois at Chicago was indicted on federal bribery charges for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars to steer the school’s elevator repair work.
James Hernandez, 54, of Tinley Park, was arrested Wednesday and charged with pocketing more than $ 200,000 in bribes from the owner of a southwest suburban elevator repair company while he worked as an elevator foreman at UIC, according to the U. S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
Suzy Tamras- Martin, 68, owner ofWillowbrook- based Smart Elevators, was charged with concealing the bribes in checks payable to Hernandez’s daughter, prosecutors said. The payments were recorded as “professional fees” in company records.
Hernandez forged his daughter’s signature and deposited the checks into a bank account he controlled, the attorney’s office said. The indictment alleges that TamrasMartin made the payments to influence and reward Hernandez for referring her company for elevator repair work.
UIC paid Smart Elevators more than $ 5 million from 2011 to 2015, prosecutors said. The bribes to Hernandez started in April 2013 and continued until at least August 2015.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty Wednesday and was released on bond, prosecutors said. David Struett
Injuries in 5- car crash in Country Club Hills
Several people were injured Thursday night when five vehicles, including two police cars, crashed in south suburban Country Club Hills.
People were laid out on the road awaiting medical attention near the site of the crash, which happened about 11 p. m. in the 18300 block of South Cicero Avenue, according to authorities on scene. At least eight ambulances were present.
The Country Club Hills Fire Department did not immediately release information regarding the number of transports and referred all questions to police. Sun- TimesWire
Kids fall ill after Shedd visit
About 15 kindergartners from a Chicago Catholic school became sick after visiting the Shedd Aquarium on April 17, several days before over 100 suburban students got sick after holding their prom at the same location.
About 15 of the 52 students from Saint Clement School who visited the Shedd April 17 became ill that evening or the next day, according to Susan Thomas, manager of public relations for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
The kindergartners did not eat at the Shedd, Thomas said. They only visited the aquarium itself.