Rezko hires attorney in attempt to stifle warrant

By Jeff German

Friday, May 30, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Tony Rezko, an indicted Chicago political insider tied to Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama, has hired a high-profile Las Vegas attorney to try to quickly quash a warrant for his arrest in Clark County.

The attorney, Richard Wright, declined to comment Thursday. But sources said he is attempting to persuade the district attorney’s office to withdraw the felony warrant if Rezko resumes making payments on $472,275 in Strip gambling debts.

District Attorney David Roger, however, said his office will accept nothing less than a total payment.

“Unless we receive payment in full, we will move to extradite Mr. Rezko after he’s arrested,” Roger said. “The U.S. Marshals have assured us that they will execute the warrant at the appropriate time.”

That time could come immediately after a Chicago jury decides Rezko’s fate. The jurors have been deliberating the past two weeks following two months of testimony in a corruption trial linked to the administration of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was not charged.

Rezko, a 52-year-old real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, was once considered part of Blagojevich’s inner circle, as well as a prominent donor and fundraiser for Obama.

Obama, who has distanced himself from Rezko, acknowledged early in the campaign that it had been a mistake to enter into a 2005 land deal with Rezko at a time when the businessman was under federal scrutiny.

The Chicago jury recessed Thursday without reaching a verdict and wasn’t expected to resume deliberations until Monday.

That could buy Wright some time to resolve the warrant.

The Las Vegas case poses a problem for Rezko, who is under electronically monitored federal supervision at his suburban Chicago home, no matter what verdict is reached in the corruption trial.

If Rezko is convicted in Chicago, federal prosecutors could argue the outstanding warrant is reason to further restrict his freedom while he appeals the conviction. If Rezko is acquitted, authorities would have grounds to take him back into custody and return him to Las Vegas to face the local charges.

Rezko was charged in a criminal complaint signed in Las Vegas on May 13 with two counts of fraud stemming from $250,000 in gambling debts at Caesars Palace and $200,000 in markers at Bally’s. He also owes the district attorney’s bad check unit processing fees for pursuing the criminal case.

Rezko has had other unpaid gambling debts on the Strip. The Bellagio obtained a judgment of default against Rezko a year ago after he failed to repay $331,000 for gambling markers.

Jeff German is the Sun’s senior investigative reporter.