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Ex-county coroner isjailed;additional charges possibleBy Stewart WarrenFormer Will County Coroner Robert Tezak might face additional charges of obstruction of justice after he allegedly threatened the life of his former daughter-in-law, who was also his lover.No matter what happens, Tezak’s Sept. 13 trial on arson charges was postponed Wednesday until October.Tezak, 45, was jailed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center Friday after U.S District Judge Wayne R. Anderson revoked his bond. The former Republican power-broker is accused of planning arson fires that destroyed two buildings: those housing Crest Hill’s Galaxy Bowl and the Will County’s Private Industry Council, 225-227 N. Chicago St., Joliet.Tezak was taken into custody last week after federal prosecutors said he threatened the life of Nikki Leber, 25. Leber is Tezak’s son Mark’s ex-wife. The pair divorced in December.Tezak allegedly sent a message to Leber through his son that if she testified against him during an upcoming court appearance, he would “blow her brainsout.”Leber also allegedly was Tezak’s lover during a lengthy affair. She apparently has told authorities that she shared cocaine with Tezak sometime after his December 1992 arson indictment.Tezak, unshackled and clad in a baggy blue prison jumpsuit, stood motionless in front of the judge during the Wednesday hearing in the Dirksen Federal Building courtroom, Chicago. Before the hearing began, he waved to his brother-in-law, Joe Cuismano.Tezak’s lawyer, former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb, asked Anderson to free his client from the MCC’s maximum security section. There, Tezak is in solitary confinement 23 hours a day.The former coroner was placed there after he reminded authorities that Stephen J. Kezerle, who is scheduled to testify against him, also is jailed at the prison on unrelated drug charges.“I believe that to be extraordinarily unfair to Mr. Tezak. It’s an extraordinarily difficult environment to be in. It’s not Mr. Tezak’s fault the government has another witness there,” Webb said.Anderson denied the motion but said he might reconsider it at another date. He also said he would speak to prison authorities about moving Tezak to a less restrictive section of the jail.“He strikes me as being not physically dangerous,” Anderson said of Tezak. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Polales, too, said after the hearing that he would telephone the jail on the same matter.Polales would not comment on whether he will seek the additional charges of obstruction of justice from a grand jury. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can issue charges directly through a criminal information.Webb requested additional time to prepare his defense in case the new charges are filed. A status hearing it set for Oct. 5 and motions could be filed then. Tezak’s trial is scheduled for Oct. 12.Anderson seemed sympathetic to the damage done via the bizarre relationships among the Tezak family members.“I have no desire at all to inflict additional pain on members of your family. I want to do my best, so someday this family, which is blessed with substantial resources, can get back together and on track,” Anderson said.The former coroner is said to be worthup to $40 million. In 1972, he paid a Kentucky barber $57,000 for the rights to the Uno card game, which he later sold at phenomenal profit.Tezak served as Will County coroner from 1976 until 1987, and bought Joliet radio stations WJOL-AM and WLLI-FM for $4.4 million in 1987.In 1990, Tezak bought Shearson Racing, and later, one of his cars won the Indianapolis 500.Five co-defendants pleaded guilty in the arson cases and have agreed to testify against Tezak.Right director wrong agencyA story in Sunday’s Star on risk assessment for victims of domestic violence incorrectly identified Diane Bedrosian as executive director of the Crisis Center for South Suburbia.Bedrosian is executive director of the South Suburban Family Shelter in Hazel Crest.The checklist, too, which accompanied the main story, was drawn from information provided by the South Suburban Family Shelter.
Newspaper Details
Park Forest Star
Park Forest, Illinois, US
Thu, Sep 09, 1993
Page 4
Full Page
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AZ, USA 27 Jan 2020
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