Raymond Akers, Jr.

Raymond Akers, Jr.
Maurice Possley, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 14, 1986 reports that In 1981, Akers worked as a lobbyist in the Chicago City Council for for Waste Management of Illinois, and as such was involved in a bribery kerfuffle that involved HOD Disposal. The president of Waste Management of Illinois, James DeBoar, was accused of approving a $10,000 payment (this is 1981, remember) delivered by John E. Horak to Fox Lake officials. Maurice Possley, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 14, 1986 writes:

According to well-placed sources, Akers helped an FBI undercover informant offer payments and favors to Chicago officials for city collection contracts in the Operation Incubator federal investigation of suspected government corruption here.

After the FBI investigation of Chicago city government became public in late December, sources familiar with the investigation disclosed that Akers had agreed to cooperate with the federal inquiry. His attorney, David Schippers, who also represents Groenboom, refused to comment.

Maurice Possley, Oct. 28, 1987: Akers (admittedly) lied to the FBI in an attempt to implicate Datacom Systems Corp, a parking ticket collections firm that was competing with Systemic Recovery for a Chicago contract, in order to improve the chances of Systemic Recovery.

At the time, [Michael] Raymond, a longtime confidence man and swindler, was handing out bribes to grease the way for Systemic Recovery's bid for the lucrative Contract. By the summer of 1985, he had enlisted Akers' aid to gain introductoins to city officials.

Akers discovered that Raymond flipped, and "agreed to cooperate in the investigation, and pleaded guilty to "arranging for a bribe of at least $6500 to [Alderman Clifford] Kelley to further a land scheme concocted by higher-ups at Waste Management.

Ray Gibson, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 29, 2007:
Akers was hired by the county in 2000 and currently makes more than $72,000 a year.

See also: Of Recycling Contracts, Felons, Bribery and Pollution, Chicago Bungalow, 12/1/08