From the Chicago Tribune

'Safe Road' figure pleads guilty
By Matt O'Connor
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 18, 2004, 3:13 PM CDT
One of the latest workers charged in the Operation Safe Road federal probe
into corruption in state government pleaded guilty today to taking bribes to
pass driver's license applicants.
Fernando Murillo, who supervised road-test examiners at the driver's license
facility in west suburban Lombard, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy
to commit extortion in the Chicago courtroom of U.S. District Judge Joan
Lefkow.
Sentencing was set for Sept. 10. The defendant faces 12 to 18 months in
prison.
In his plea, the Cicero resident and 23-year veteran of the secretary of
state's office admitted taking cash bribes from co-defendant Lidia Rodezno
over the past year to pass at least 20 driver's license applicants during
their road tests.
A driving school instructor, Rodezno typically would get $600 from an
applicant and pass $50 to $75 of that amount to Murillo, prosecutors said.
Murillo also admitted he received payments from a second instructor from a
different driving school‹neither of whom was identified today‹in 2003 and
2004. Typically, $50 would be left in the ashtray of a driving school
vehicle prior to a road test to ensure an applicant would pass, prosecutors
said.
The defendant said he assisted at least 25 applicants in that scheme.
Rodezno previously pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion and
conspiracy, but has been cooperating with authorities. The Chicago resident
formerly worked for Reliable Driving School of Chicago.
Operation Safe Road began as a federal investigation into the alleged
payment of bribes to obtain driver's licenses in Illinois, and broadened
into an investigation of kickbacks, cover-ups and bid-rigging that ensnared
former Gov. George Ryan and many of his closest advisers when he was
secretary of state.
Ryan has pleaded not guilty to charges resulting from the inquiry. His trial
is pending. More than 60 people have been convicted to date.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune