[FONT=Verdana]Federal investigators on Thursday linked a bribe paid to an unnamed city official to the long-delayed $53 million West Side elementary school project. John C. Hancock, 50, owner and operator of Environmental Engineering Systems Inc. of Bridgeport, admitted paying $8,000 in bribes to the official in exchange for obtaining a $130,000 subcontract. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Hancock's work involved removing asbestos from buildings being demolished to make way for the school. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]It was a misaddressed letter filled with cash and opened by an official at UPS that led FBI Special Agents Christopher Halpin and Gary Jensen to Hancock's door. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Finnerty said Hancock admitted his involvement to the agents on March 24. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]On Thursday before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall, Hancock, standing beside his lawyer Robert Golger, again admitted paying the bribe. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Hall allowed Hancock to be released on a $50,000 nonsurety bond, pending his Sept. 5 sentencing. At that time, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine as well as restitution. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]During the hour-long proceeding, Finnerty, Golger and Hancock were careful to refer to the bribe taker only as a "city official." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Court documents identify the employee as being in a position "permitting him to supervise construction projects for the city of Bridgeport, including participating in the hiring of firms to perform construction-related services monitoring a firm's performance of the contract and reviewing and approving change work orders." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]"I'd love to be telling you that our investigation of public corruption in Bridgeport is over," said U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor. "Instead, I'm saying that day is not arriving any time soon." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]This latest pay-to-play scheme unfolded Sept. 2, 2003. That, Finnerty said, is when the city official called the prime contractor, who also was not named in court documents, on the $350,000 asbestos abatement project. The contractor was told "he had to hire Hancock," the prosecutor said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]On both Sept. 12, 2003, and Oct. 30, 2003, Hancock gave the official separate $2,000 checks made out to cash. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Then on Jan. 15, 2004, Hancock mailed a $4,000 cash payment from Florida to the city official. But the package had the wrong address and UPS notified law enforcement. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]The money was to facilitate the processing, approval and payment of a change work order, court documents said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]