Mayor of Niles arrested in corruption probe

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060608/ap_on_...nois_corruption

Ill. mayor arrested in corruption probe By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 18 minutes ago

 

CHICAGO - A longtime suburban mayor was arrested Thursday on federal charges of steering business to a friend's insurance agency in return for bribes for almost two decades.

 

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Nicholas Blase, Niles' mayor for 45 years, was arrested on his 78th birthday as he left his house.

 

According to court documents, Blase threatened to withhold liquor licenses and business licenses from restaurant owners unless they bought insurance from an agency once owned by his late friend Ralph Weiner and now run by Weiner's sons.

 

Prosecutors said the payoffs went on for 17 years.

 

Steven Weiner, 53, was also arrested and was to appear in federal court with Blase later Thursday. Both were charged with mail fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

 

Blase, who is an attorney, has denied any wrongdoing and said he steered business to Weiner simply because he liked him.

 

Steven Weiner and his brother became the license-holders and co-owners of the Ralph Weiner & Associates agency after their father died last year, prosecutors said.

 

Niles, just north of Chicago, has 30,000 residents.

Only in Illinois....