Sludge company's ex-representative pleads guilty
Lawyer Blogs
A former representative of a Texas company pleaded guilty Monday to federal bribery conspiracy, admitting a multiyear scheme to win a sludge recycling contract through cash and trips for Detroit officials.
Jim Rosendall's cooperation with the FBI led prosecutors to recommend a sentence of no more than 11 months in prison, well below the five-year maximum.
The company used cash and plane trips to Las Vegas to curry favor with Detroit officials and win the $47 million contract to recycle sludge, according to a criminal charge unsealed earlier in the day.
The city officials were not identified.
The influence-peddling game reached a climax in fall 2007 when a city council member accepted payments to vote in favor of a deal with Synagro Technologies, the government alleges. The contract was approved, 5-4, in November 2007.
"People expected me to give things to get their support," Rosendall, former president of Synagro of Michigan, said in court.
Earlier Monday, Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. addressed speculation about a federal investigation into the conduct of city government members. "I think we'll have to see how it plays out," he said.
Rosendall's guilty plea comes more than four months after Kwame Kilpatrick resigned as mayor and went to jail in a sex-and-text scandal after admitting he lied during a civil trial to cover up a torrid affair with his chief of staff.
The city council member involved in the bribery conspiracy case was not identified, nor is "City Official A," who with others was flown to Las Vegas in September 2003 at a cost of $20,000 to see a boxing match, the government said.
Related listings
-
VA agrees to settle for $20M for data theft
Lawyer Blogs 01/28/2009The Veterans Affairs Department agreed Tuesday to pay $20 million to veterans for exposing them to possible identity theft in 2006 by losing their sensitive personal information. In court filings Tuesday, lawyers for the VA and the veterans said they...
-
Voters ask court to add absentees to Minn. recount
Lawyer Blogs 01/28/2009Minnesota voters testified Tuesday their ballots had been unfairly rejected as Republican Norm Coleman argued thousands of disqualified absentee ballots should be counted in the U.S. Senate race. "Perhaps my signature is not as good as it once was," ...
-
FBI: Long Island investment firm boss surrenders
Lawyer Blogs 01/27/2009The owner of a Long Island investment firm accused of cheating people out of more than $100 million is expected to appear in court Tuesday. FBI spokesman Jim Margolin says Nicholas Cosmo surrendered at a U.S. Postal Inspection Service office in Hicks...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.