COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio deputy treasurer pleadedguilty to charges of federal program
bribery and conspiracy on Mondayfor his role in a kickback scheme.The government dropped sixother counts
against Amer Ahmad, including money laundering charges,under the plea agreement filed in U.S. District
Court.Ahmad, ofChicago, faces up to 10 years in prison for the bribery charge and up tofive years for
conspiracy, prosecutors said. Sentencing for Ahmad, 38,will be scheduled later.Ahmad decided to move forward
with theplea agreement after evaluating the circumstances and considering hisfamily, defense lawyer Karl
Schneider said.The plea came daysafter Ahmad’s friend Mohammed Noure Alo, a Columbus attorney andlobbyist
also charged in the scheme, pleaded guilty to a wire fraudcharge.Between 2009 and January 2011 Ahmad, Alo
and othersconspired to use Ahmad’s role then as deputy treasurer to direct statebrokerage services to
Canton-based broker Doug Hampton, who returnedmore than $500,000 to them in payments, according to court
documents.Ahmad and Joseph Chiavaroli, of Chicago, hid such payments using theaccounts of a landscaping
business in which the two had ownershipinterests, according to prosecutors.At the time, Ahmad worked forthe
state office of then-treasurer Kevin Boyce, a current Democraticstate lawmaker who described himself as
"shocked and forever stunned" atdetails of the scheme.Hampton, who got more than $3 million
incommissions for hundreds of trades on behalf of the treasurer’s office,also funneled more than $123,000 to
Alo, the U.S. Justice Departmentsaid.Records show Boyce learned just after losing the 2010election that
Ahmad was under federal investigation, yet proceeded torecommend him for a job as comptroller for
Chicago.Ahmad resignedas Chicago comptroller in July, before he was indicted. An audit laterfound no sign
that he was involved in such illegal activities whileworking for the city.Hampton and Chiavaroli pleaded
guilty to charges earlier this year.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.