Ex-con with past ties to Des Plaines no longer allowed in casinos

In what can only be described as extremely coincidental timing, a felon with past ties to the city of Des Plaines was banned from state casinos this week.

While gaming board officials said the ban had nothing to do with the ex-con's Des Plaines history and the recent awarding of a casino license to the city, the felon himself thinks otherwise and said he will fight the ban.

"I think it's rather strange timing because of the situation in Des Plaines," said James E. Dvorak.

Dvorak, 64, the former undersheriff of Cook County, was convicted of ghost payrolling in 1996 and in 1994 of accepting bribes from both a sheriff's department employee and contractors.

Dvorak had several ties to Des Plaines, including working for Prime Site, a company that presided over at least four development deals in Des Plaines. He also held an interest in Premere, a company that acquired billboard rights along the tollway in Des Plaines for relatively low prices and then sold them for millions. Lastly, he was a lifelong friend of the town's former economic development director, William Schneider.

Schneider was forced out in 2004 after the Daily Herald revealed he had a 1994 mail-fraud conviction for stealing money from JMB Realty. JMB Realty is, coincidentally, the company owned by Neil Bluhm, chief owner of Midwest Gaming LLC, which won the Des Plaines casino license.

Dvorak became an issue for Des Plaines in 2004 when it was then the runner-up to Rosemont in bidding for the casino. The city quickly severed all ties with Dvorak. Des Plaines leaders could not be reached Thursday about whether he continues to be excluded from city business, but Dvorak said he hasn't done business in the city in five years. "I drive around Des Plaines," Dvorak said.

Gaming board representatives insist Dvorak's history with the city and its recent award of the state's 10th casino license location played no role in the exclusion.

"We can't deny that there's a nexus between Mr. Dvorak and Des Plaines," said gaming board spokesman Gene O'Shea, but he said that was not the reason for the exclusion. Dvorak is the first of several people the board is poised to exclude, O'Shea noted. He did not elaborate.

"Mr. Dvorak would have been excluded on (Jan.) 13th if the casino had gone to one of the other locations," O'Shea said.

Dvorak scoffed at that. "I'm willing to bet you it was because of the Sun-Times article," said Dvorak, reached at his suburban home. He was referring to a December editorial praising the board for choosing Des Plaines, but cautioning the board to be vigilant and recounting the Dvorak association.

Dvorak said he doubts there will be other exclusions. "I've never had any problem in any casino," said Dvorak. "I frequent them infrequently."

While he conceded he has a criminal conviction, he said thousands of people fit that description but are not on the IGB's exclusion list. "Why wait nine years (after my release from prison)?" asked Dvorak.

Dvorak said he has paid for his crimes. He said he has retained attorney Joseph Pavone and has requested a hearing on the exclusion. "How long do I have to serve the sentence?" Dvorak asked. "I've been a model citizen."