Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- An eyewitness in a pending felony criminal case has been charged with soliciting money in exchange for agreeing to provide false testimony during the trial of a defendant charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Robert Marzette, 48, of Markham, who is currently on parole, has been charged with Bribery (Class 2 Felony) for allegedly soliciting $10,000 to provide false testimony at the upcoming trial of Maurice McGee, who was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in 2008. Marzette appeared in bond court today at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse in Bridgeview where Cook County Judge Carmen Aguilar set bail at $500,000. If convicted, Marzette faces up to seven years in prison.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the State’s Attorney’s Special Prosecutions and Investigations bureaus.
According to prosecutors, a cooperating witness in the investigation was contacted by one of Marzette’s relatives and indicated that Marzette was willing to talk to the witness to make the case pending against McGee “go away”.
On May 13, 2013, the cooperating witness spoke with Marzette, who demanded a $10,000 cash payment in exchange for falsely testifying at McGee’s upcoming trial that “Maurice McGee did not do the shooting.” Marzette ultimately agreed to accept a bribe of $7,000 for his testimony. Marzette then agreed to meet with a private investigator who he believed was hired by the cooperating witness.
According to prosecutors, on the morning of May, 16, 2013, Marzette met with a Cook County State’s Attorney undercover investigator at a restaurant in the southwest suburbs and acknowledged that he was accepting the $7,000 cash payment in exchange for false testimony which he would provide at McGee’s upcoming trial. After accepting an envelope containing $7,000, the defendant exited the restaurant with the cash and was arrested by authorities.
Marzette is currently on parole for a 2010 Burglary conviction in which he was sentenced to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. His next court date in today’s bribery case is set for June 13, 2013.
