Hernandez James, Federal Program Bribery, Illinois 2023

By Grimy Times Staff

CHICAGO — In a shocking case of corruption, the elevator foreman at the University of Illinois at Chicago received bribes from the owner of a suburban company in exchange for steering the school’s elevator repair work to it, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

The indictment accuses James Hernandez, 54, of Tinley Park, of pocketing more than $200,000 in bribes from Suzy Tamras-Martin, the 68-year-old owner of Willbrook-based Smart Elevators Co. Tamras-Martin concealed the bribes by issuing checks payable to Hernandez’s daughter, and falsely describing the payments in company records as “professional fees,” the indictment states.

Hernandez allegedly forged his daughter’s endorsement on the checks and deposited them into a bank account he controlled. The charges allege that Tamras-Martin made the payments with the intent to influence and reward Hernandez in connection with his official duties at UIC, which included the referral of the school’s elevator service and repair work.

From 2011 to 2015, UIC paid Smart Elevators more than $5 million for servicing and repairing elevators. The bribery scheme began in April 2013 and continued through at least August 2015, the indictment states. The indictment seeks forfeiture from Hernandez of approximately $208,700 in cash.

Hernandez was arrested this morning and pleaded not guilty at an afternoon arraignment before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang. He was ordered released on a recognizance bond. An arraignment date for Tamras-Martin has not yet been scheduled.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for federal program bribery, while the conspiracy charge carries a punishment of up to five years in prison.

John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the indictment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin N. Best and Rick D. Young.

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