Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying in a civil deposition tied to his financial ties to landfill owner James Bracken, in a case rooted in a years-long dispute over who would haul the south suburb's trash.
Jury Convicted Jackson in November
A federal jury found Jackson guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice on Nov. 12, 2025, according to the Chicago Tribune. The charges stemmed from a deposition Jackson gave in 2021 in a civil lawsuit brought by Tri-State Disposal, which accused him of favoring a rival recycling company and retaliating against Tri-State in a dispute over a special-use permit. The federal indictment against Jackson had been filed in late 2023.
Sentencing had not yet been scheduled.
A Business Built Around a Hidden Partner
Prosecutors alleged that Jackson and his wife incorporated Centennial Holdings in 2018. Trial evidence described Bracken as having a substantial role in the company, including involvement with payroll and timesheets, the Tribune reported.
Prosecutors alleged that Bracken effectively operated Centennial and financed its expenses. Bracken himself has not been charged with wrongdoing. The FBI had raided Jackson's home more than four years before the sentencing as part of its investigation into Bracken.
The Trash Contract at the Center of It All
The dispute traces back to Riverdale's decision to hire Flood Brothers for a spring cleanup event in May 2018, even though Tri-State Disposal was already obligated to perform the work. The Chicago Tribune reported the job was worth $18,000, while the Chronicle Illinois put the figure at $18,537. Prosecutors alleged Bracken introduced Jackson to Flood Brothers as a replacement for Tri-State, but Jackson testified he had no role in that hiring and was instead introduced to the company by village administrator Tim Williams — an account prosecutors said was false.
WGN-TV reported that Tri-State accused Jackson of refusing to renew its contract. Chronicle Illinois reported that Riverdale announced Flood Brothers as its new hauler in August 2019. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, who presided over the underlying civil case, found insufficient evidence that Tri-State had been subjected to political retribution.
Jackson's lawyers argued that any inaccuracies in his testimony resulted from honest mistakes and unclear questioning during the deposition, not deliberate deception.
A Village in Transition
Jackson was formally removed from office after his conviction.
An interim mayor is serving pending the next election.
