Anti-Corruption - University of Illinois at Chicago

Operation Incubator 1984 to 1989
Operation Incubator centered around a huge bribery scheme designed take a City of
Chicago parking fine collection contract from one New York company and give it to
another. Before it and spinoff investigations were completed, a FBI undercover informant
Michael Raymond, was convicted of masterminding the murder of a prosecution informer
in New York ; 47 the Queens (NY) Borough President was implicated in a payoff scheme
and then committed suicide; Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Morgan Finley was
convicted for taking $25,000 in bribes and his chief investigator, Michael Lambesis,
pleaded guilty to passing bribes and selling machine guns and silencers to the mole. 48
In addition, Clarence McCain, a former top aide to Mayor Harold Washington was
convicted for taking $57,000 in bribes. 49 Former Alderman Wallace Davis Jr., (27 th
Ward), was convicted for taking bribes 50 and Alderman Marian Humes (8 th Ward), 51
Perry Hutchinson (9 th ) 52 and Clifford Kelly (20 th ) pleaded guilty to accepting bribery and
other crimes. 53
Michael Raymond, who also used the name, Michael Burnett, operated out of an
expensive apartment in Lake Point Tower with the FBI occupying the adjacent unit. In 14
months he dispensed $307,100 in cash and gifts to the indicted defendants and tape
recorded many payoffs. 54
The Incubator bribery investigation also resulted in convictions or guilty pleas by John
Adams, former City Deputy Revenue Director; Herman Mitchell, a precinct camptain;
Paul Vesper, a gun dealer; Carmen Aiello, a former Water Department supervisor;
Melvin DuBrock, a former assistant Streets & Sanitation Commissioner; Raymond
Akers, former Waste Management Inc. lobbyist, and two officials of an unaccredited
Southside law school. 3
In 1991, the U.S. Appeals Court reversed part of Clarence McCain’s conviction but
upheld the most serious conviction counts. 55
56 & 57
Both former Alderman Hutchinson and mole Michael Raymond died in prison.
47 Gary Borg, “Mole who exposed Chicago scam convicted in slaying,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1996
48 AA. Jim Merriner, “Operation Incubator: Was probe of Corruption here worth the expense?” Chicago
Sun-Times, Sept 17, 1989
49 “15 who were caught in influence-peddling net,” Chicago Sun-Times, Sept 17, 1989
50 Chuck Neubauer, “Davis 4 Years on Council, 4 Years in Jail, Chicago Sun-Times Jan. 22, 1995
51 Adrienne Drell, “Teary plea fails – Humes gets 2 yrs,” Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 1, 1989
52 Adrienne Drell, “Hutchinson gets 8 yrs. in bribery,”Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 30, 1989
53 William B. Crawford Jr., “Kelley gets Year, Will Help Probe,” Chicago Tribune, June 12, 1987
54 Maurice Possley, Dean Baquet and others, “9 Indicted in City Payoff Case, Chicago Tribune, May 15,
1987
55 Tim Gerber, “U.S. court reverses part of McClain’s conviction,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 29, 1991
56 Obituary, “Former Ald. Perry Hutchinson, 48," Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 2, 1992
57 Stephanie Zimmermann, “Michael Raymond dies in prison – was federal mole,” Chicago Sun-Times,
Nov. 3, 1996
46