Chicago — “I was afraid and I did the wrong thing.” That’s what former commander of the Melrose Park Police Department, Guy “Ric” Cervone, told the federal judge when he was allowed to speak.
That statement was one of more than 100 requests for the judge’s leniency during the sentencing hearing Tuesday.
Cervone, 50, was given 60 days in jail, a $5,000 fine and 250 hours of community service.
His sentence was far less than the maximum of five years in prison that his one count of obstruction charge carried and it was less than the 16 months in prison that federal prosecutors were asking for.
Cervone was indicted in July 2007 as part of ex-Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo’s operation to run a private security firm using public funds.
In July 2009, the day before Cervone was to stand federal trial, he changed his plea to guilty and admitted to corruptly influence and obstruct the administration of justice.
Between March 2003 and September 2005, Scavo directed Cervone to manipulate the police department’s time due records to make it appear that certain police officers earned more time due than they actually did, according to Cervone’s plea agreement.
Prosecutors said from 1999 to 2006 police officers were often paid twice: Performing their regular police duties and also working security or running errands for Scavo.
Cervone was commander from 2000 to 2005 and was in charge of creating and maintaining the police department’s time-due records — the accounting procedures for how officers were paid.
He was the sole person at the police department during that time who created and maintained records on his computer at the police department, prosecutors said.
Cervone admitted to providing Melrose Park police officers Rocco Venute and Nello Barone with print-outs of falsified time-due records.
During the federal government’s investigation, Cervone asked Venute to lie to federal agents, according to testimony.
Cervone recited the mantra often used by other Melrose Park police officers about Scavo as to the reason for his actions: “You don’t say no to the chief.”
On Tuesday, Cervone pleaded with the judge for leniency, saying he has no children and takes care of his mother and his dogs and now is working to try to rebuild his life.
“I have lost everything,” he said, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and striped tie.
He said he is attending school to become an electrician and works as a janitor at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park.
“I care for the community,” he said. “I would never do anything to hurt the community. I am doing everything to rebuild my life.”
He told the judge what he did was one mistake and it would never happen again.
“I promise this will be a one-time error,” he said.
Cervone’s plea along with about 100 letters of support from the community seemed to have an impact on the judge’s decision.
About 15 people, made up of family and friends, were in the courtroom during the sentencing.
U.S. Judge Joan B. Gottschall, who presided over the case, said she believed Cervone would never commit a crime like this again, but believed some incarceration time was necessary.
She read excerpts from some of the letters she had received in court stating the positive impact he’s made in the community where he was a School District 89 board member.
“The community understands the severity of the offense,” Gottschall said. “As far as the community is concerned he has already been harshly punished.”
Cervone seemed somewhat satisfied and relieved with his sentence, but did not make a comment to the press. His federal staff attorney, Imani Chiphe, said he is satisfied with the judge’s decision.
“I think it was a fair and just sentencing,” he said. “She gave him the appropriate sentence.”
Cervone is scheduled to begin serving his sentence July 19.
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Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services