FORMER STATE OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY
TO ACCEPT AND CONCEAL CORRUPT PAYMENTS

The United States Attorney's Office announced today that LAWRENCE E. ALIBOZEK, age 58, of New Hartford, Connecticut, entered a guilty plea today to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to impair the Internal Revenue Service by failing to report the corrupt payments. ALIBOZEK's guilty pleas were accepted by Chief Judge Robert N. Chatigny in United States District Court in Hartford.

The charging document alleges and ALIBOZEK admitted during today's plea proceeding that during and after the time he served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of the State of Connecticut, he agreed with other persons to accept cash, gold and other things of value from persons doing business with the State of Connecticut. ALIBOZEK admitted that he and others accepted the cash, gold and other items of value with the intent to be influenced and rewarded for taking favorable action for certain persons in connection with state business including business with the Department of Public Works. ALIBOZEK admitted that he agreed with others to conceal the unlawful conduct and the concealment included not reporting the cash, gold and other items of value on his tax returns.

ALIBOZEK was Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor John Rowland from October 1997 to July 1999.

ALIBOZEK faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced by Chief Judge Chatigny

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nora R. Dannehy and Eric J.Glover.
The United States Attorney's Office stated that today's plea of guilty was the result of an ongoing federal investigation.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Delcie Thibault
Public Information Office
(203)821-3722 Office
(203)627-1082 Cell