Wednesday, March 01, 2017

WDCB Engineer Going to Jail

His name is John Valenta, and he is going to do some hard time. From Robert Feder's column...

John Valenta, who was employed as the station’s engineer for 30 years, pleaded guilty in DuPage County Circuit Court to felony theft in connection with what investigators said was a 16-year scheme that bilked the station out of more than $400,000. As part of his plea agreement, Valenta faces a minimum of six years in prison. Sentencing will be May 19.

He didn't only work at WDCB. I worked with him in the closing years of my time at WJMK. At that time he was the engineer of all the CBS stations in town--a ridiculous cost-cutting move that wreaked havoc on everyone. I had lost track of him until this news emerged.