Sale, Lease Deals Part of Ryan Indictment

CHICAGO-The 22-count indictment against former Governor, Illinois Secretary of State and potential Nobel Peace Prize candidate George H. Ryan Sr. involves real estate deals allegedly orchestrated by one of 65 other “Operation Safe Road” defendants. Lawrence E. Warner is accused by US Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald of profiting to the tune of more than $3 million from insider dealings, including three city and suburban office lease deals.

Ryan, Illinois Secretary of State from 1990 to 1998, is accused of directing an underling to enlist Warner in locating office space in early 1994. Warner directed the employee to a building at 605 Maple Rd. in Joliet, according to the indictment, but also is accused of buying “a substantial ownership interest in the building, but concealed the interest by using a third-party nominee.” The indictment alleges Ryan signed off on a four-year lease in January 1995, which also allowed Warner to receive $387,500.

Warner is accused of attempting to hide his role in brokering a six-year lease for space at 17 N. State St. in 1991, when the Secretary of State’s office moved from 188 W. Randolph St. Fitzgerald’s office charges Warner of receiving $383,276 in commissions on the $6.4-million deal while concealing his involvement by having someone else’s name on the contract with the property manager. The 388,000-sf, 92-year-old building changed hands in 2001 for $12.8 million, according to property records.