Four years after pleading guilty, a former Worth Township trustee with political links to top Democrats was sentenced to probation Wednesday for failing to file income tax returns over a two-year period.
Richard Lewandowski, 65, of Palos Heights, pleaded guilty in February 2021 to a criminal information charging him with one misdemeanor count of failing to file an income tax return.
In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Lewandowski admitted he did not file an income tax return in either 2017 or 2018, despite earning more than nearly $600,000 in those two years. In all, he cheated the state and federal government out of about $62,000 in revenue, the plea agreement said.
As part of his plea deal, Lewandowski’s sentencing was put on hold as he continued to cooperate with prosecutors in any ongoing political corruption investigations.
Prosecutors mentioned that cooperation in a recent court filing asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez to consider probation instead of jail time, though the filing offered no specifics on how Lewandowski helped the government.
“After being approached by agents as part of a larger investigation, defendant was cooperative with the government, and his cooperation has spanned over the course of many months,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Nutini wrote. “Defendant has been truthful with the government and the information he has provided — relating to two separate investigations — has been helpful, reliable, and timely.”
Among the letters of support submitted to the judge by Lewandowski’s attorney, Patrick Boyle, was one from former U.S. Rep. William Lipinski, the legendary Chicago Democrat, who described his friend as an “honest, straightforward individual and not looking to take the easy way out.”
“Rich is a good willed, generous, dedicated member of his community and I have witnessed Rich, on numerous occasions reach out to those who need some support to give them the helping hand they need without question of repayment,” Lipinski wrote.
Federal sentencing guidelines called for up to a year in prison. However, Valdez went along with the recommendations and gave Lewandowski one year of probation instead. The judge also fined Lewandowski $4,000. Court records show he’d already paid all of his back taxes and penalties.
The charges against Lewandowski were part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation that stretched from Chicago to the southwest suburbs and Springfield.
Lewandowski, who has served as a trustee in Worth Township since 2013, was closely allied with John O’Sullivan, a former state representative and ally of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan who resigned as Worth Township supervisor in 2020 amid the investigation involving red-light camera company SafeSpeed.
O’Sullivan was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors about the SafeSpeed probe in 2019, shortly after agents raided the offices of then-Democratic state Sen. Martin Sandoval and a host of suburban mayors. O’Sullivan pleaded guilty in 2021 and is awaiting sentencing.
Lewandowski also is the president of Breaker Press, a Pilsen-based printing company that has received millions of dollars for printing services from politicians dating to at least 2011. That includes more than $100,000 from Friends of Michael J. Madigan for the speaker himself and dozens of candidates, ranging from rank-and-file House Democrats to his handpicked 13th Ward alderman, Marty Quinn.
The Madigan campaign committee had also paid several thousand dollars to Breaker Press on behalf of Sandoval since 2012. Sandoval had represented part of Madigan’s House district since then. Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to corruption and was cooperating with investigators in the sweeping federal case, died in December 2020 from COVID-19 complications.
Madigan, a Southwest Side Democrat, was convicted earlier this month of bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges after a four-month trial. A sentencing date has not been set.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
