A onetime political operative was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in federal prison on Wednesday for bribery, earning a reduced sentence that prosecutors said was due to his extensive cooperation with the government in “ongoing matters.”
William Helm has been “one of the best cooperators” the government has had in years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Nutini told a federal judge at the Dirksen federal courthouse.
Helm, 60, faced between three and four years in prison under federal guidelines after he pleaded guilty in February to bribing the late state Sen. Martin Sandoval and to cheating on his taxes to the tune of about $9,300.
Nutini said the government sought a lower sentence because of Helm’s extensive cooperation with the government.
It’s unclear what that cooperation entails. Details about it were redacted from the government’s sentencing memo. Nutini only referred to the cooperation as “in relation to ongoing matters.”
Nutini also said the lighter sentence was recommended because Helm quickly admitted to his crimes, he has no major criminal history, and he had no issues while on pretrial release since he was indicted in March 2020.
That’s when prosecutors first accused Helm of bribing Sandoval, then head of the Illinois Senate’s transportation committee. The scheme involved a development project in East Dundee and a red-light camera company.
According to prosecutors, Helm was hired for $20,000 as a consultant to help with “signalization” issues in the East Dundee project. Helm agreed to pay Sandoval some of that money for his help as chairman of the transportation committee.
Though Sandoval ended up attending a meeting and tried to influence an Illinois Department of Transportation official, Sandoval told Helm he didn’t trust the construction company involved in the project, according to Nutini.
The company previously has been identified as being owned by a member of the Palumbo family. It isn’t charged with any crime.
Before he was sentenced, Helm asked Judge Elaine E. Bucklo for probation instead of prison. He said he wanted to spend more time with his 81-year-old father, who had dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He said he was remorseful for his actions and has been trying to correct his misdeeds.
“Good people do, in fact, make bad decisions. And I have done that. And for that, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart,” Helm said.
Bucklo told Helm his crimes undermine “our trust in government” and a sentence of probation does not serve “the interests of the citizens of Illinois.” She also sentenced Helm to a year of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Raised in Uptown, Helm rose through the ranks of Chicago government, Helm’s attorney Tim Grace said in court. Helm worked for the Chicago Park District, then as a deputy commissioner of the Aviation Department, overseeing 700 people and keeping the runways clear at O’Hare Airport. Helm is retired and living off of his pension, Grace said. He splits his time between Chicago and his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, Grace said.
Helm was scheduled to surrender on Feb. 10 to the Bureau of Prisons.
Contributing: Jon Seidel