The former mayor of the Chicago northern suburb of Niles has pleaded guilty to taking more than $420,000 from an insurance agency in a kickback scheme.
Nicholas Blase appeared before U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen on Oct.31. The 80-year-old admitted steering customers to the insurance agency owned by his friend Ralph Weiner and receiving 25 percent of the commissions.
During his court appearance, Blase apologize to his family, friends and the residents of Niles.
The judge set sentencing for Jan. 29. Blase could get a maximum of 20 years.
He’d been mayor of Niles for 47 years when he resigned in August.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
AI Is Reshaping Insurance: What Claims Pros and Lawyers Must Know Now 
Ship Owner Seeks Dismissal of All Economic Loss Claims From Baltimore Bridge Collapse 
Scammers Used Gemini AI to Help Build Spam Messages, Google Says 
Roblox Wants Deluge of Child Sex Abuse Cases Moved Out of Court 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.