From The Chicago Sun-Times:

Associate of Stanley pleads guilty to Metra scam

September 18, 2002

BY STEVE WARMBIR FEDERAL COURTS REPORTER

A business partner of former state Rep. Roger Stanley pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, admitting he acted as a middleman in a scheme to bribe a Metra board member to get agency contracts.

Robert Doyle, 53, of Midlothian, told U.S. District Chief Judge Charles Kocoras he was following orders from Stanley, who was partners with Doyle in a direct-mail company called Midwest Compuservice, in Bridgeview.

Federal prosecutors have accused Stanley of funneling bribes through Midwest Compuservice to the Metra board member, Donald Udstuen. Udstuen, they say, would then put in a good word for Stanley's company to get Metra contracts and also provide "proprietary information" to Stanley about the contract process, including for instance, how much Metra had budgeted for a particular contract.

Stanley is accused of shelling out at least $130,000 in bribes to Udstuen to get more than $4 million in Metra contracts since 1985. Udstuen has resigned from the Metra board and is cooperating with federal authorities after pleading guilty in another scheme.

Also charged in the case is attorney Stanley Stewart, 59, of Oak Park. Stewart, also cooperating with investigators, allegedly would send bogus invoices to Midwest Compuservice. Prosecutors say Stanley told Doyle to pay those bills, even though Stewart hadn't done any recent legal work for the firm. Stewart would then have the money passed on to Udstuen, prosecutors say.

Doyle said he asked Stanley why the firm was paying money to Stewart for legal work that was never done.

"Stanley told me he owed it to the little guy," Doyle said, referring to Udstuen.

Doyle faces six months to a year in prison or under home confinement, under his plea agreement.

Doyle's attorney, Ted Sinars, said outside court his client just followed orders from Roger Stanley. "Stanley is the culprit here," Sinars said.

Doyle was recently fired by Stanley, a move prosecutors say was in retaliation for Doyle's cooperation with the government. Stanley's attorneys dispute that.