Former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, who admitted years ago to multiple acts of corruption, is set to be sentenced June 11.
The sentencing was scheduled Thursday during a brief hearing before U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall, who now presides over Tobolski’s case. It’s been nearly four and a half years since Tobolski pleaded guilty to an extortion conspiracy, admitting he’d abused not only his county office, but his additional role as mayor of tiny west suburban McCook.
Tobolski told a judge in September 2020 that he’d engaged in extortion and bribery schemes involving both offices, and that he accepted more than $250,000 in payments “as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.”
However, his plea agreement also anticipated his cooperation with federal prosecutors, and his sentencing has been delayed until its completion. Tobolski’s cooperation is expected to ultimately earn him a break at sentencing, when he’d otherwise be in line for a prison sentence of 11 to 14 years.
In his plea agreement, Tobolski admitted to his role in a scheme that also put former McCook Police Chief Mario DePasquale away for more than two years. Tobolski and DePasquale admitted they shook down a restaurant owner, and DePasquale said he collected $29,700 amid the extortion.
When he was sentenced almost exactly a year ago, DePasquale’s attorney called Tobolski “one of the most vile and corrupt people that one could possibly imagine.” Defense attorney Jonathan Minkus said Tobolski “created in the western suburbs an almost unfathomable Wild West-like atmosphere where everybody was fair game.”
But U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo rejected the argument, telling DePasquale “there’s just no putting the blame on the mayor.”
“You don’t join the corruption,” Bucklo said. “You go and report it.”