Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson indicted on perjury and obstruction charges
COOK COUNTY - The mayor of south suburban Riverdale has been indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. The indictment alleges that Mayor Lawrence Jackson lied under oath during a civil deposition and obstructed a lawsuit accusing him of retaliating against a former city vendor.
The indictment claims that Tri-State Disposal Inc., a waste management company in Riverdale, filed a civil lawsuit in 2018 against Riverdale and Jackson. The lawsuit accused Jackson of retaliating against Tri-State by not renewing its garbage collection contract with the city. The owners of Tri-State had publicly voiced opposition to the city's issuance of a zoning permit allowing a recycling and waste transfer business to operate in Riverdale. This recycling business was allegedly owned by an individual associated with Jackson, who assisted in replacing Tri-State with a different garbage collection company.
According to the indictment, Jackson participated in a deposition related to the lawsuit on February 25, 2021, answering questions under oath. During the deposition, Jackson allegedly provided false testimony to conceal his relationship with the recycling company's owner. The owner was extensively involved in the operations of Centennial Holdings, a trucking company owned on paper by Jackson and his wife but operated for their benefit by the recycling company's owner.
The indictment further alleges that Jackson falsely testified that a Riverdale village administrator introduced him to the other garbage collection company and recommended replacing Tri-State, despite knowing that the recycling company's owner was responsible for the introduction and recommendation. Jackson also exchanged text messages with the recycling company's owner during the deposition, the indictment states.
If convicted, Mayor Jackson's obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the perjury charge has a maximum sentence of five years.