Ex-coroner Indicted In A 2nd Fire December 03, 1992|By Matt O`Connor. Robert Tezak, a millionaire businessman and former political powerhouse in Will County, was indicted Wednesday for the second time in three months on federal charges in connection with an arson-for-hire scheme. Tezak was accused of ordering the torching of the Joliet offices of the Will County Private Industry Council in early December 1987 in order to destroy agency records wanted by federal authorities and to collect insurance proceeds. Tezak, the Will County coroner until 1988, owned the three-story building at 225-227 N. Chicago St. The indictment also charged Stephen P. Kezerle, now serving a prison term on an unrelated gun conviction, with starting the fire at Tezak`s request. In September, Tezak was indicted on charges of paying $15,000 to hire four men to burn down his money-losing bowling alley in Crest Hill. The building was only slightly damaged in a fire in August 1987. Two of the defendants have pleaded guilty to participating in the arson. Tezak was coroner for 12 years, and was a behind-the-scenes power in Will County Republican politics and a successful businessman who made millions distributing the card game UNO. Tezak`s attorney, Dan Webb, could not be reached for comment on the latest indictment. Tezak pleaded not guilty to the first arson conspiracy charge. Wednesday`s indictment, filed days before a five-year statute of limitations runs out, charged both Tezak and Kezerle with conspiring to commit arson, defraud insurance companies and obstruct justice. In addition to trying to collect on insurance proceeds in excess of $200,000, Tezak planned the fire to destroy Private Industry Council records that had been subpoenaed by a grand jury as part of a federal probe, the government charged. The council, which frequently has been the center of controversy, administers federal grants for job training programs. After recruiting Kezerle in fall 1987, the government charged, Tezak told him to place the agency records in a central location in the building before the fire. The indictment alleged that Kezerle, the operator of Pegasus Construction, directed his construction crew ``to remove certain parts of the building to provide vents`` so the fire could spread quickly. Kezerle is accused of setting the fire late Dec. 3, 1987, or early the next morning. The fire occurred just three days before the agency`s deadline to turn over about 17 boxes of records to the Internal Revenue Service. The documents included records of grant fund payouts and contracts involving the council and organizations running the training programs. Nearly three weeks after the blaze, state and federal investigators determined the fire was an arson after laboratory tests found an accelerant in several areas of the building. In the earlier indictment, Tezak was charged with plotting to burn Galaxy Bowl in Crest Hill in an attempt to collect more than $1 million in insurance. In September, Kenneth Floyd, 54, and Daniel Devea, 41, both of Joliet, pleaded guilty to participating in the arson-for-hire scheme and agreed to testify against Tezak. Floyd accused Tezak of recruiting him to find someone to burn down the bowling alley. Devea, who described himself as a friend of Tezak`s for 25 years, alleged that Tezak asked him to show Floyd how to turn off Galaxy`s alarm system and to give him keys to the business. Karl Mackovic and Dan Kuta, the two men charged with actually setting the fire, are expected to plead guilty to federal charges next week.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:37:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015