Crooked lawyer aided local campaigns
Darling, Stepp,beneficiaries; feds recommending two years in prison for former Michael, Best partner

Dec. 18, 2005 -- Corrupt lawyer Michael Gral was was a politcal donor to and State Senators Alberta Darling and Cathy Stepp during the time he was helping rip off his clients, records show.

President George Bush, Gov. Scott McCallum, U.S. Senate Candidate Russ Darrow also got money from the crook.

All are Republicans.

He gave $2,000 to Bush in 2003, and $2,428 to Darrow in 2004.

Closer to home, the former Michael, Best & Friedrich law firm partner donated a total of $450 to Stepp (R-Sturtevant) in 2002 and 2003; and $100 to Darling (R-River Hills) in 2003.

He donated $3,011 to former Gov. Scott McCallum in 2001 and 2002; and forked over $250 to then-Attorney General Jim Doyle in 1998.

Most of the donations occurred when Gral was engaged in his criminal scheme to steal from Bielinski Brothers Inc. and its owners, Frank and Harry Bielinski, according to federal court records and campaign finance databases maintained by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and newsmeat.com.

The donation to Doyle occurred before the alleged criminal activity began, and two 2001 donations to McCallum, totalling $2,250 may have occureed before then. Federal court records do not specify when in 2001 Gral started dipping into other people's pockets.

Gral pleaded guilty to in federal court last week to mail fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to rip off owners of the Bielinski Brothers Inc. building firm.

Gral cheated his clients, Bielinski Brothers Inc. itself and owners, Frank and Harry Bielinski, of "the intangible right to honest services," according to the charges filed against him earlier in the week.

The government will recommend that Gral serve two years in prison and pay a $500,000 fine; Gral has agreed to pay $552,000 in restitution, although the goverment may argue for a different amount, according to a plea agreement filed in the case.

Gral is to be sentenced March 16.

Meanwhile, the feds also asked U.S. District Judge Charles N. Clevert to review the bond of Robert Brownell, the brains behind the Bielinski bilk. Brownell has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and has pledged to repay an amount the government estimates at $7 million to $20 million.

Brownell, as part of his conditions of release, was not supposed to pledge any asset worth more than $750, except to make car and rent payments, according to a government filing.

He violated the conditions by borrowing a total of $1.46 million from three lenders, according to the government. Brown mortgaged property and "personally guaranteed and promised to pay the loans," the government said.

To top it all off, Brownell traveled to Florida without permission, another violation of his bond, the government said.

Brownell is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 20, but could be behind bars before then if Clevert decides his bond should be revoked.

In Gral's case, the government charged, the lawyer's actions "had the effect of placing the defendant's own financial interests ahead of and to the detriment of his clients' interests."

Gral admits that he did not confirm with the Bielinski Brothers whether they authorized spending $500,000 on a Florida condo that Gral was buying with Bielinski Chief Executive Officer Robert Brownell, according to court documents.

The brothers, in fact, did not know their money was being used to buy a condo for someone else. Brownell made the spending look like a legitimate piece of Bielinski Brothers business.

Gral and Brownell also bought a 128-acre piece of property in Cedarburg for $2.1 million, according to the government. Work done there was wrongfully billed to Bielinski Brothers. Brownell, so conveniently employed at the company, authorized payment of the bills.

Gral does not admit to involvement in the Cedarburg billing scam.

Brownell also used money he stole from Bielinski Brothers to buy $1.5 million in land in Lincoln County in the name of a firm he ran with the Bielinski brothers, according to the government. The brothers, however, did not know about the purchase.

Gral and Brownell later signed and backdated a document to transfer the land to a company they operated together, according to the charges.

Read all about it.

The revised charges filed against Gral.

The plea agreement.

The government's offer of proof.

The defense's offer of proof.

Government filing alleging Brownell violated release conditions.