FBI: FORMER CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL CEO PLEADS GUILTY OF KICKBACK SCHEME

Posted at Illinois Review:

CHICAGO— Tuesday, Barbara Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty in federal court today to using her position as chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools to guide lucrative no-bid contracts to her former employer in exchange for bribes and kickbacks, the Chicago Division of the FBI reports.

In a written plea agreement, Byrd-Bennett admitted that she steered no-bid contracts worth more than $23 million to two education-consulting firms, THE SUPES ACADEMY LLC and SYNESI ASSOCIATES LLC. In exchange, Byrd-Bennett expected to receive cash kickbacks from the companies, as well as a consulting job at SUPES upon her retirement from CPS. The kickbacks were to be paid to Byrd-Bennett in the form of a “signing bonus” on the first day of her new employment, according to the plea agreement.

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