Mayor Emanuel has proposed that the former 12th District police station on the Near West Side be converted into a children’s theater.

Chicago

Prison term given in Medicare scam

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking control of two Chicago-area home health companies and using them to bilk Medicare out of more than $20 million.

Jacinto “John” Gabriel Jr., 38, has been in federal custody since February 2014 when he entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and tax evasion.

Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle also ordered Gabriel to pay $23.3 million in restitution to Medicare and $1.5 million to the Internal Revenue Service.

Prosecutors say Gabriel fraudulently obtained confidential background information on hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and then used the information to sign them up as patients of Perpetual Home Health Inc. and Legacy Home Healthcare Service, companies he controlled.

“Gabriel used elderly patients as commodities to bill Medicare,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Patients were intentionally misdiagnosed with medical conditions that they did not have, and then used to bill Medicare for treatment that they did not need.”

Chicago

Utility ruse linked to burglaries

Residents in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood neighborhood are being warned about scams that turn into burglaries.

Police say offenders ring a victim’s doorbell and give various reasons why they need to access the home. In many instances, the offender will claim to be a utility company employee needing to check something inside the home. Once inside, the offender distracts the victim away from the door while another offender goes inside the residence to steal goods.

Police said residents can protect themselves and their homes by following safety tips.

• Do not open the door for “utility” personnel unless you have requested services.

• Be cautious about letting unfamiliar people into your home.

• Contact the utility company to confirm technicians are scheduled to work in the neighborhood.

• Ask to see identification from anyone claiming to represent a city agency or utility company.

• Write down vehicle information and suspect description information for any suspicious people.

• Call 911 to report suspicious activity.

Justice

DUI charge filed in death of 94-year-old

A Justice man has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence in connection with an accident that killed a 94-year-old woman. At 1:45 p.m. April 10, Patrick O’Connor was driving a 2002 Mercury Sable westbound on Archer Avenue near Lemont and crossed over into the eastbound traffic near 107^th Street and struck a 2011 Subaru Outback, according to Cook County Sheriff’s deputies. During their investigation, deputies said, it was determined that O’Connor had consumed alcohol and had been administered methadone earlier that day.

Lawsuit filed in fatal accident

• The passenger in the Outback, 94-year-old Lillian Landuska of Brookfield, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
• Patrick O’Connor was being held in Cook County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 7.

Oak Park

The father of the victim in a fatal accident last summer has filed a lawsuit against the motorist in the incident. Police said the motorist in the accident left the scene, but the car was later found in Berwyn

• Schultz’s father, Ronald, has field a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court, contending that Mendoza negligently was driving too fast for conditions, did not keep a proper lookout and intentionally fled the scene knowing that he had caused bodily harm in the accident.
• Jeffrey Schultz, 40, of Oak Park, was riding his bicycle at 10:30 p.m. June 1 on the 1400 block of Harlem Avenue in Forest Park when he was fatally hit by a car. Police said Joel Mendoza, 22, of Berwyn, left the scene of the accident and failed to notify authorities.

Chicago

Former police station Proposed as children’s theater

The former 12th District police station on the Near West Side would be converted into a children’s theater complex under a redevelopment proposal introduced to City Council today by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Chicago Children’s Theater would rehabilitate the two-story structure at 100 S. Racine Ave. as its permanent entertainment and training facility. The building, constructed in 1948 and vacated by the Chicago Police Department in 2012, would be reconfigured to include a 299-seat main stage theater, a 149-seat studio performance space, classrooms and administrative offices.

Valued at $2.3 million, the 16,920-square-foot building would be sold for $1.

Chicago Children’s Theater specializes in productions for young audiences, hosting more than 280,000 attendees since its founding in 2005. To date, it has partnered with another theater to stage performances.

The $15 million project would support 37 temporary and 158 permanent jobs. Costs would be partly paid for by a $5 million State of Illinois grant.

Property tax incentives proposed for industrial project

A property tax incentive introduced to City Council would support an industrial redevelopment project on the West Side.

A Class 6(b) property tax incentive would support the construction of a 4,000-square-foot addition to Chicagoland Beverage Co.’s 17,000-square-foot warehouse in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor. The $650,000 project would add new office and warehouse space for the distributor of coffee, tea and other specialty beverages. Taxes on the property would be reduced by $65,422 over the 12-year period and enable the company to add four positions to its 35-person workforce.

Land sale to support development industrial building

A $5.2 million speculative industrial building would be developed in New City through a City-owned land sale introduced to City Council today by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman James Balcer.

The 40,000 square-foot complex would be constructed on 2.3 acres of vacant land on the northeast corner of 41st and Halsted streets. Designed to house manufacturing and warehouse space, the building would feature 24-foot ceiling heights, six dock doors, two drive-in doors, and a 34-car parking lot.

The City acquired the parcel in 2003 through a condemnation process. Valued at $692,000, it would be sold for $342,000 to the developer, 41 Venture LLC, with the remaining $350,000 placed in escrow to cover potential environmental remediation costs.

The new facility would create approximately 55 temporary and 15 permanent jobs. As a speculative industrial project, the building is expected to house to two yet-to-be determined tenants.

City to renew Mayfair Branch Library lease

An ordinance which would authorize the execution of a lease governing the City’s continued use of property located at 4400 West Lawrence Avenue was introduced last week. If approved by City Council, the City would continue to use the facility as the Mayfair Branch of the Chicago Public Library.

The Mayfair Branch of the Chicago Public Library provides library services to residents in the 39th Ward. The lease authorizes the City to continue to use approximately 7,605 square feet of building space. The owner will provide certain upgrades to the site. The lease runs through Dec. 31, 2021 but may be terminated by the City any time after Dec. 31, 2017 with 120 days written notice.

Resolution to protect city’s middle class introduced

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and members of City Council April 15 introduced a resolution to protect the rights of Chicago’s middle class. The resolution declares opposition to the Governor’s proposal to create local right to work zones in Chicago and municipalities throughout Illinois and calls on the Committee on Workforce Development and Audit to hold a hearing to address this issue and bring together public officials, civic representatives and members of the public in an effort to fully address this matter.

The proposal would limit prevailing wage laws, change workers’ compensation laws and eliminate project labor agreements. These actions have the potential to dismantle labor organizations, which have historically protected the rights of working and middle-class Chicagoans, and could lead to lower median wages, reduced benefits, and unsafe working conditions for all employees whether they are union or non-union.

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