Peoria, Ill. – Three former night janitors who worked a fraction of their full-time hours at the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office in Springfield, yet received their full pay, were sentenced today, as announced by Rodger A. Heaton, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. During separate hearings, U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade ordered the men to self report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on February 28, 2007, and sentenced them as follows:

Dana Dinora, 53, of 1500 South 4th Street, Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced to serve six months in federal prison, followed by four months home confinement and three years of supervised release. Judge McDade found that Dinora did not have the financial ability to pay a fine; however, Dinora was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $78,443 to the state of Illinois. Dinora’s state retirement refund, approximately $22,000, was ordered to be used to pay toward the restitution amount ordered. Dinora was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service during the first 18 months of his term of supervised release.

David Medvesek, age 57, of 2 Timberline Drive, Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced to five months in federal prison to be followed by six months home confinement and three years supervised release. He was ordered to pay a fine of $12,811 and restitution in the amount of $30,434 to the state of Illinois. Medvesek’s state retirement refund of approximately $23,000 was ordered to be used to pay toward the restitution amount.

Steven Boyce, 59, of 25 Ptarwigan, Chatham, Illinois, was sentenced to serve two months in federal prison, followed by six months home confinement and three years supervised release. Judge McDade found that Boyce did not have the financial ability to pay a fine; however, Boyce was ordered to pay restitution of $31,800 and to forfeit his state retirement refund of approximately $23,000 toward the restitution amount.

The three janitors pled guilty in August 2006 to the fraud scheme and testified during the trial of Cecil Turner, former director of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Physical Services Division. A jury convicted Turner in September 2006 of wire fraud and making false statements to federal agents related to the pay scheme. Turner was sentenced earlier this month to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $49,558.87. Turner is to report to the Bureau of Prisons on February 7, 2007.

U.S. Attorney Heaton said, “The defendants cheated the system, but they cooperated. Their cooperation earned them significantly lower sentences.”

The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General for the Illinois Secretary of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory M. Gilmore and Patrick J. Chesley.

During the period of the scheme, from April 1999 through August 2005, Turner was responsible for maintenance of certain state-owned or occupied buildings including the Herndon building and the Court of Claims building in Springfield. Shortly after Turner became Director of Physical Services, Dinora was named lead janitor over the night janitorial crew at the buildings where Dinora worked. Dinora, Medvesek and Boyce then devised a system to receive their full pay despite working only a fraction of their official duty hours. As the scheme progressed, the number of hours increased for which the janitors were paid without working.

U.S. Attorney Heaton said, “The vast majority of state workers are competent, dedicated public servants. Unfortunately, these defendants’ acts of fraud and deception cast a dark cloud over their honest work. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who take advantage of the system and taxpayers.”