Another one bites the dust

Ryan found guilty on all counts
Co-defendant Warner also guilty

By Matt O’Connor and Rudolph Bush
Tribune staff reporters
Published April 17, 2006, 1:19 PM CDT


A federal jury convicted former Gov. George Ryan today on all charges that as secretary of state he steered state business to cronies in return for vacations, gifts and other benefits for himself and his family.

Lobbyist Lawrence Warner, a close Ryan friend, was also found guilty on all charges against him in the historic trial.

On their eleventh day of deliberations, the six-woman, six-man jury found Ryan, 72, guilty on 18 counts of racketeering, mail fraud, false statements and tax violations. Warner, 67, was convicted on 12 counts of racketeering, mail fraud, extortion, money laundering and evading cash-reporting requirements.

The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

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