Portage City Employee Randy Reeder Doesn't Know What "Threatened" Is
Some background here: Randy Reeder gave testimony to the federal grand jury regarding Portage Mayor James Snyder. In that testimony, Reeder said that Snyder had him steer a city contract in favor of a contractor from which Snyder received a $13,000 payoff.
And the reason Reeder is now recanting his testimony - he claims he was threatened by the FBI!!! And the God awful threat made to Reeder by the FBI was ... are you ready for this... he was told that it was criminal to lie to the FBI!!!! REALLY????!!!! If the FBI quote/inform an individual of a law, it's a crime???? Holy Whoa!!!!
But wait, it gets better. According to Reeder - during his testimony on February 8th - he did not consider it a threat when he was informed that it was a crime to lie while under oath during his testimony in Snyder's federal trial. Hmmm...
So who is Reeder really afraid of? Who does Reeder really feel threatened by? Is Reeder really afraid of the FBI - or could it be that Reeder feels/or has been threatened by [insert drum roll] Snyder? Or, could it be that Reeder simply doesn't have the balls to stand up to Snyder and is trying to back-track in order to now protect Snyder.
WHATEVER!!!! All I know is that it pisses the hell out of me that when the FBI for the first time ever step foot into the city of Portage and address the corruption, that you have Reeder screaming that he was threatened by the FBI/our heroes.
Reeder doesn't know what threatened is - he has never walked in my shoes - he has never been bullied, intimidated, and threatened by Portage Mayor James Snyder, for daring to speak out about the corruption in Portage and Porter County. Reeder doesn't have a clue as to the hell I endured - and he doesn't know the extent to which the State Of Michigan went to in order to protect me from Snyder and the entire group of corrupt officials in Portage/Porter County.
You betcha I'm pissed about Reeder's claim that he was threatened by the FBI - because the FBI, and everyone involved in their fight against the corruption in Portage/Porter County are my heroes.
I have so much faith in the FBI, that when Federal Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen stated that Snyder's federal trial would proceed in January, unless he dropped over, that I had my crime victim address confidentiality removed from my driver's license. For the very first time since the unlawful police entry into my home and the brutal killing of my furbabies - in retaliation for my reporting the corruption in Portage/Porter County - my driver's license has my actual address on it. And, I was finally able to do that because I know the feds have this - not only is Snyder going down, but I have complete faith that anyone/everyone associated with Snyder's corruption will also eventually be taken down by the FBI.
A Portage employee said Friday he wanted to recant testimony he gave a federal grand jury that implicated Mayor James Snyder...Reeder said he had “misspoken in error” when he told the grand jury that Snyder told him to put a 150-day deliver period in the bid specifications for garbage trucks.. Koster [Assistant U.S. Attorney] said that during that meeting, where Reeder had an attorney, that he took it as a threat when federal investigators told him it was a crime to lie to the FBI.“Yes,” Reeder said. Koster asked if Reeder knew it was a crime to lie under oath. “Yes,” Reeder said. Koster asked if Reeder considered that a threat. “No,” Reeder said.. [Witness in Portage mayor's bribery case says he wants to recant grand jury testimony. Chicago Tribune. 02082019]
Witness in Portage mayor's bribery case says he wants to recant grand jury testimony
Chicago Tribune
February 08, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-trial-day-15-st-0209-story.html
A Portage employee said Friday he wanted to recant testimony he gave a federal grand jury that implicated Mayor James Snyder in an alleged scheme to steer a contract to one company in exchange for a $13,000 payoff.
Randy Reeder, the city’s assistant superintendent of streets and sanitation, said that he “misspoke” when he testified before a grand jury on two occasions in 2016, and wanted to recant his statements made under oath. Reeder, on the 15th day of Snyder’s public corruption trial, wanted to take back statements he made about Snyder’s involvement in the purchases of five garbage trucks.
Snyder was indicted in November 2016 and charged with allegedly violating federal bribery statutes. Federal prosecutors say the mayor allegedly solicited money from Kustom Auto owner John Cortina and “Individual A” and gave them a towing contract for Portage. Snyder is also charged with obstructing or impeding the IRS, according to court documents.
Snyder has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents.
Reeder said he had “misspoken in error” when he told the grand jury that Snyder told him to put a 150-day deliver period in the bid specifications for garbage trucks.
Reeder said when he told the grand jury he was a “pawn” for Snyder that the statement was not accurate.
“I would like to recant that,” Reeder said.
Reeder said he also misspoke when he talked about preparing the bids specifications. Reeder said that it’s common to narrowly tailor specifications so the city gets the equipment it wants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster asked about grand jury testimony where Reeder had agreed that the evidence showed Snyder wanted the contract to go to Great Lakes Peterbilt.
Reeder said that was not correct.
Koster said many of those statements are incriminating for Snyder, and retracting things he said in the grand jury is helpful to the defense.
Defense attorney Jayna Cacioppo asked if Reeder felt afraid when he spoke with federal investigators during a meeting.
Reeder said he was afraid because he didn’t think investigators would believe him and they said he could be incarcerated.
Koster said that during that meeting, where Reeder had an attorney, that he took it as a threat when federal investigators told him it was a crime to lie to the FBI.
“Yes,” Reeder said.
Koster asked if Reeder knew it was a crime to lie under oath.
“Yes,” Reeder said.
Koster asked if Reeder considered that a threat.
“No,” Reeder said.
Federal prosecutors claim that Snyder steered a city contract to one firm and netted himself a $13,000 kickback.
Prosecutors say that when Snyder first ran for mayor, he told residents he planned to automate Portage’s trash pickup, but wound up allegedly steering contracts for $712,882.50 and another for $425,355 to Great Lakes Peterbilt, which was then owned by Robert and Steve Buha.
Great Lakes Peterbilt is now owned by a different firm.
After getting those contracts, prosecutors Great Lakes Peterbilt gave Snyder a check for $13,000 payable to his shell company, which state records showed had been dissolved.
Defense attorneys say that Snyder used his experience in offering health insurance to city employees through the Affordable Care Act, and making technology upgrades to advise Great Lakes Peterbilt about making similar changes.
Reeder said when he was hired as assistant superintendent of streets and sanitation, one of his key functions was looking at automating trash and recycling pickup. Reeder said he talked to neighboring cities about how their programs work, looked at pricing for refuse containers, and rewrote Portage’s trash ordinance.
Reeder said that the mayor did not have any specific involvement in the bidding process, and he was only kept in the loop as the process move forward.
During the second round of garbage truck purchases at the end of 2013, Great Lakes Peterbilt again won the contract, and federal prosecutors say sold the city a two-year old truck despite Portage’s own specifications calling for new, unused and current factory production model.
Reeder said all the bids were awarded to the lowest and most responsive bidder. He said he thought the equipment only need to be new and unused, which the truck that had been sitting on the lot was.
Koster asked if Reeder told the Board of Works one of the trucks was two years old.
Reeder said he did not.
As the defense began making its case Wednesday, they first sought to refute allegations that Snyder took a bribe to get a company on the Portage’s tow list.
Cortina, 79, who was indicted alongside the mayor, pleaded guilty to a charge that he paid bribes to Snyder to get a spot on the tow list. Cortina is expected to cooperate with federal investigators against Snyder, according to court documents.
The trial continues Monday in Hammond’s federal court.
UPDATE: Snyder witness wants to recant incriminating grand jury testimony; says he was threatened by government
NWI Times
February 08, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-snyder-witness-wants-to-recant-incriminating-grand-jury-testimony/article_d77af206-8e56-5ee9-8e05-3042702abf46.html
HAMMOND — Portage Assistant Street Superintendent Randy Reeder said he was under severe emotional distress when he told a grand jury he felt like he was Mayor James Snyder's pawn.
Reeder is at the center of a charge that Snyder took a $13,000 bribe from Steve and Bob Buha, owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt at the time, in exchange for steering more than $1 million in garbage truck purchases. Reeder said Friday he wants to recant what he told the grand jury in early 2016.
"I said I felt like a pawn," Reeder said of his grand jury testimony.
"You told the grand jury, 'I felt like Snyder's pawn,'" Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster said.
"I want to recant that," Reeder answered.
Reeder spent Friday on the stand under direct questioning by Snyder attorney Jayna Cacioppo and cross-examination by Koster.
During that questioning, Reeder testified Snyder was not involved in the bidding process nor did Snyder direct him to make sure the contracts went to Great Lakes Peterbilt.
Reeder's testimony was in direct conflict with previous testimony of former Street Superintendent Steve Charnetsky and FBI agents who claimed Snyder chose Reeder to work on the project and to make sure the Buhas received the bids.
Reeder said he didn't know of a relationship between the Buhas and Snyder nor that Snyder lunched with the Buhas a day before one of the rounds of bids was to be opened.
In that direct questioning, Cacioppo asked Reeder if he felt threatened by the government and if his grand jury testimony was accurate.
"There were a few things I disagree with," Reeder said of his grand jury testimony.
"Yes. I was afraid the government would not believe me in my statements and I would be incarcerated," Reeder said of his state of mind at the time.
Reeder also told jurors "multiple layers of emotional stress" were going on in his life at the time due to his daughter's diagnosis and treatment for leukemia.
Under cross-examination, Koster asked what corrections he wanted to make.
Reeder said he "misspoke in error" to the grand jury about Snyder knowing about the 150-day delivery requirement for the first round of bidding for the garbage trucks.
"I'd like to change that. He didn't know," Reeder said, adding there were a couple of other items he wanted to change.
After reviewing his grand jury testimony from 2016 during a lunch break, Reeder said he wanted to recant testimony in which he said evidence pointed to Snyder wanting the contracts to go to Great Lakes Peterbilt and that Snyder wanted the deal done as quickly as possible.
Reeder said he felt threatened during an interview with Koster and FBI agents.
"They said if I don't come clean for what I know ... I would not see my family and go to jail," Reeder recounted.
Koster asked him if that was when investigators informed him it was a crime to lie to law enforcement.
"Yes," Reeder replied.
"It's a crime to lie under oath. Do you take that as a threat?" Koster then asked.
"No," Reeder said. "It was the way the government provided that information and the emotional stress I was going through. I misspoke in those statements."
Koster replied that the only statements Reeder wanted to recant were those that were incriminating Snyder.
During continued testimony, Reeder denied Snyder directed him to make sure Great Lakes Peterbilt received the contracts. He told jurors he spoke with Snyder only to keep him updated on the process.
"I never discussed that with the mayor about tailoring the spec," he said while talking about the second round of bids, which prosecutors allege were aimed to make sure Great Lakes Peterbilt could meet them.
In that round, it is alleged the specifications were written so that the company could sell the city a 2-year-old truck while bid requirements included verbiage that the trucks must be new, unused and of the current model year.
Reeder said the truck in question, which allowed the Great Lakes Peterbilt bid to be the lowest, was new and unused, but that he ignored the requirement it be of the current model year.
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