Judge wants Des Plaines firm's president in person

Sorry, Thomas Neri, you can't phone in a $30 million quasi-plea deal.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle made that abundantly clear Wednesday when he ordered the president of Lawson Products of Des Plaines to appear personally before him to take responsibility for the company's years-long bribery and kickback scheme disguised as an "incentives" program.

According to prosecutors, Lawson sales agents would bribe both public sector and private purchasing employees to order their cleaning products and equipment in exchange for certificates that could be redeemed for cash in $50 increments or less. Often taxpayers were saddled with more expensive products as a result of the bribes, which ran into the thousands for some purchasing employees.

Lawson technically did not plead guilty to any charges, but in a deferred prosecution agreement, it admitted to fraudulent conduct and agreed to pay $30 million in penalties and restitution over the next three years. In return, federal prosecutors will drop a single charge of mail fraud against the company at the end of the three-year period.

"Why is Mr. Neri not here?" demanded the no-nonsense Norgle, a federal judge known for his often-stern demeanor.

An attorney for the company said she was under the impression he didn't need to be present for Wednesday's court appearance, which was to be both an arraignment on the single fraud charge and a request for approval from the judge for the deferred prosecution agreement, which has already been signed by Neri.

"I want a corporate officer here ... so that it is clear what his obligations are," said Norgle. "He shall appear here next week (Aug. 27) at 10 o'clock."

An attorney for Lawson said the entire event was just a big misunderstanding.

"There was a miscommunication today between Lawson's counsel and the U.S. attorney's office that has been addressed, and Mr. Neri will be in attendance as requested at the next hearing," said Neil E. Jenkins, general counsel for Lawson, in a prepared statement.