Partner of Blago witness gets 18 months

By Admin on July 1, 2009

The longtime business partner of convicted influence peddler Stuart Levine was sentenced today in federal court to 18 months in prison.

Dr. Robert Weinstein, 64, of Northbrook had pleaded guilty to an income tax charge stemming from a complex, $6 million fraud scheme involving a charity that supported the work of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago.

U.S. District Court Judge Ruben Castillo also fined Weinstein $75,000.

Levine, who has pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and has yet to be sentenced, has become an important government witness in the corruption investigation of the administration of indicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. In pleading guilty in March, Weinstein admitted he understated his income on his 2003 tax return by $3 million, the amount he stole from the charity. He actually made $9.2 million that year.

In arguing for leniency, Weinstein’s attorney, Vincent Connelly, said Weinstein repaid the $3 million plus $449,000 in interest to the charity in July 2004, two months before the Tribune reported the money was missing from the charity.
At the time, both Levine and Weinstein were on the board of the medical school and ran the charity.

Weinstein had originally been charged with wire and mail fraud charges and making false statements, but those charges were dismissed when he agreed to plead guilty to the income tax charge.

Connelly argued in a written brief filed with the court that Weinstein was in ill health and deserved a lighter sentence.

“His life beyond this single violation, however, is one of integrity, dedication to family and friends and support for the community,” Connelly wrote. “He is overwhelmingly remorseful and has already physically and emotionally suffered greatly on account of his conduct and the shame of the government’s prolonged investigation.”

–Ray Gibson

Readers Comments