Brothers From Mokena, Lisle Charged In Red-Light Camera Scheme

MOKENA, IL — The stepsons of a dead, mob-associated businessman have been charged in federal court with four counts of wire fraud for their roles in providing bribes and kickbacks related to red-light cameras to the then-mayor of Oakbrook Terrace, according to an indictment released Thursday by the United States District Court, Northern Division of Illinois.

Brothers Joseph Colucci, of Mokena, and James Colucci, of Lisle, are accused of funneling thousands of dollars between 2016 and 2019 to former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony Ragucci. The brothers are the stepsons of Dennis Colucci, an associate of Outfit hitman Harry Aleman.

The indictment alleges that in or around September 2012, the city of Oakbrook Terrace entered into a deal with SafeSpeed LLC, listed in the indictment as "Company A," to provide and operate red-light cameras.

It's alleged that James and Jospeh Colucci "offered and gave things of value ... including cash" to Ragucci beginning in at least 2016 through 2019 in return for renewing the red-light camera contract on a yearly basis, according to the indictment.

Dennis Colucci's company, DSC Enterprises Inc., received a 14 percent commission from fees paid to SafeSpeed for operating the red-light camera program in Oakbrook Terrace, which went into effect in or around August 2017, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Dennis Colucci began paying Ragucci $3,500 per month beginning in or around August 2017, with the payments based on the revenue from the red-light cameras. Those payments were in lieu of a relative of Ragucci, identified in the indictment as "Individual C," being placed on DSC's payroll.

Before Dennis Colucci died in January 2018, he instructed James and Joseph Colucci to continue making the monthly payments to Ragucci, according to the indictment. Those payments continued through September 2019.

Ragucci has also been separately charged with one count of honest services wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return, according to an indictment filed April 14.

The government used information provided by Omar Maani, SafeSpeed co-owner and former executive who is listed in the indictment as "Individual A," to help build its case against the Colucci brothers. Maani began cooperating with the government in or around January 2018, according to the indictment.

A spokesperson for SafeSpeed said that bribes paid by Maani were done so through his involvement with the FBI on the case and were paid without SafeSpeed's knowledge. Maani is no longer affiliated with the company, according to the spokesperson.

SafeSpeed has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

In an emailed statement to Patch, SafeSpeed said it "fully supports the federal government’s investigation into public corruption and will continue to aid their efforts in any way it can." The statement added that the company has "terminated all contact with its former colleague and his associates."

"The criminal activity of a few individuals does not and should not reflect the values and integrity of SafeSpeed, its employees, and its clients," the statement read. "SafeSpeed built its business on integrity and ethics, and it holds its employees and representatives to the highest standards of conduct and ethics."