Where Did My Brain Go?

Discover my upcoming memoir, Where Did My Brain Go?, about recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

What Happened to John Bills, Aaron Rosenberg, Redflex?

I wrote about John Bills two months ago.

I searched for news about him, for a couple of hours while I researching that article. However, I was unable to learn what happened after the Federal investigation of Bills and RedFlex.

John Bills was finally arrested yesterday. Bills was charged with one count of federal program bribery.

Who Is John Bills?

John Bills received a annual salary of $138,000 as Managing Deputy Commissioner with the Chicago Department of Transportation. Bills was in charge of Chicago's red light camera program from 2002, until his retirement in 2011.

Bills allegedly received numerous bribes. He misrepresented Redflex, to ensure that they would chosen for Chicago's red light cameras. Bills discarded poor photos from Redflex and good photos from their competitor, when comparisons were required for a bid.

In exchange, Redflex chose a subcontractor that Bills recommended to help them install their cameras.

Blatant Bribery

After Redflex "won" Chicago's red light camera contract, Bills told them:

It's time to make good

Redflex advertised for an account manager in Chicago. They only interviewed one candidate. This account manager created phony bills to send bribes to John Bills.

Redflex eliminated the account manager's job in 2011. Bills retired from his city job, after losing that source of income. Bills wanted a job with Redflex, but they were prohibited from hiring him. Redflex found a job for Bills at a company funded by Redflex. Bills was fired in 2012. He tried to get Redflex to hire his girlfriend, but was not successful.

Confidential Informants

Testimony was provided by two confidential sources. One source is believed to be Aaron Rosenberg, who was formerly Redflex's top salesperson. Redflex sued Rosenberg for "dishonest and unethical conduct."

Rosenberg claims he:

bestowed gifts and bribes on company officials in dozens of municipalities within, but not limited to the following states: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.

John Bills faces up to 10 years in prison.