Former CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett Indicted In Bribes Charges

The statement said Soloman was aware that the charges would be announced Thursday and that he’s disappointed with the government’s decision to charge him.

In July, Emanuel named the city’s former transit chief, Forrest Claypool, as a replacement.

The hiring of Byrd-Bennett, who had years of experience as an educator and administrator under her belt, was initially hailed as a hopeful compromise between City Hall and the teacher’s union.

“They entered a scheme to secretly profit at the expense of students”, Fardon said in the news conference. A month later, she asked the Board of Education to approve the SUPES $20.5 million deal that had gone though CPS’ “sole-source” or no-bid process.

The former head of the nation’s third-largest school district was indicted on federal fraud charges Thursday that accuse her of taking bribes and kickbacks for steering more than $23 million in no-bid contracts to a former employer.

In one exchange between Byrd-Bennett and Solomon, she wrote “I have tuition to pay and casinos to visit”. The statement says she plans to plead guilty to charges in the indictment.

Byrd-Bennett – who was paid $313,000 in salary and benefits – was provided with meals, an airplane ticket and seats at basketball and baseball games, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She is charged with 15 counts of mail fraud and five counts of wire fraud.

“She is a public official who compromised her integrity by looking to line her own pockets”, Fardon said of Byrd-Bennett.

Former Cleveland schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett still owns this $544,000 home in Solon.

As he has throughout, Mr. Solomon stands behind the training, mentoring, and counseling services that he, his companies, employees, and contractors provided to the Chicago Public School System (“CPS”).

SUPES, which is based in the nearby suburb of Wilmette, and Synesi in Evanston, Ill, were also charged in the indictment, as were the respective owners of the companies, Gary Solomon, and Thomas Vranas.

Both suburban Chicago men are charged with bribery and conspiracy to defraud, along with mail and wire fraud.

Phones messages seeking comment from Vranas and his attorney weren’t immediately returned. Byrd-Bennett had worked as a consultant for SUPES and Synesi before moving to CPS in May 2012. The maximum penalty for one count of mail or wire fraud is 20 years in prison, restitution and a fine.

The indictment alleges that one email from Solomon to Byrd-Bennett said, “If you only join for the day, you will be the highest paid person on the planet for that day”.

The Tribune has previously reported that despite the public relations push, a “Non-Competitive Procurement Review Committee” chaired by a district procurement executive initially rejected the principal-training contract for SUPES, citing other organizations that did the same work.

They also requested employment records for Byrd-Bennett, Martin, and two close Byrd-Bennett associates, Sherry Ulery and Rosemary Herpel.