08142004 - News Article - Overview on NWI corruption

Overview on NWI corruption

Post-Tribune (IN)
August 14, 2004 

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.proxy.portagelibrary.info/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=104ACF8FAB7AC819&p_docnum=173&p_queryname=1

East Chicago officials named by Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter in a civil racketeering lawsuit, where he says the city is "a corrupt enterprise:" 

Mayor Robert Pastrick 

James Fife, special assistant 

Timothy Raykovich, special assistant 

Kimberly K. Anderson, deputy controller 

George Weems, finance director and Board of Works president 

Frank Miskowski, Board of Works vice president 

* * * 

East Chicago officials who are allegedly tied to the 1999 sidewalks-for-votes scheme by federal investigators and who maintain their innocence: 

Frank Kollintzas , City Council president 

Joe De La Cruz, city councilman, former police department spokesman 

Adrian Santos, city councilman 

Edward Maldonado, city controller 

Jose "Joe" Valdez, Park Department superintendent 

Pedro Porras, city engineer 

Randall Artis, city councilman 

* * * 

Businesses named in Carter's civil R.I.C.O. suit: 

JGM Enterprises, owned by county councilman Joel Markovich 

Great Lakes Engineering LLC 

Rieth-Riley Construction 

A&A Enterprises 

Ace Enterprise 

A-1 Dave's Tree Service 

Calumet Concrete & Masonry 

B&S Construction 

D/S Commercial Equipment and Construction 

H&Y Maintenance 

Residential Construction Service 

Roger & Sons Construction 

TRI Inc. 

Windstorm Enterprises 

St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. (which didn't participate in the scheme, but is named because it provided bond insurance for some of the defendants) 

* * * 

Contractor under federal indictment who maintains his innocence in the sidewalk scheme: 

Terrance Artis, brother of Randall Artis and part-owner of A&A Enterprises 

* * * 

Official who has pleaded guilty for his role in the concrete-for-votes scheme: 

Joel Markovich, county councilman 

* * * 

Contractors who have pleaded guilty for their roles in the sidewalk scheme: 

Robert Velligan, owner of Calumet Concrete and Masonry 

Dimitrios "Jim" Sazalis, owner of D&S Construction 

Gregory Gill of Lowell, owner of H&Y Maintenance 

Marilyn Gill, wife of Gregory Gill, whose firm, H&Y Maintenance did work for the city. 

* * * 

East Chicago officials under federal indictment for accepting payment for security work they didn't perform: 

Ed Samuels, interim police chief now on paid leave 

Miguel Arredondo, building commissioner