Timeline: 'Operation Board Games'
Some key dates in the federal investigation that led to Tony Rezko's conviction Wednesday on 16 of 24 charges he faced:
FALL 2003-EARLY 2004 Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine schemed to split a kickback from a $50 million state pension deal.
EARLY MAY 2004 Rezko used his influence to get Levine, a Republican, reappointed by Gov. Blagojevich to a state pension board.
JUNE 2004 Chicago Sun-Times breaks the story of a shakedown scheme tied to a proposed new Edward Hospital and of a federal probe into a proposed Mercy Crystal Lake Hospital. The Mercy deal later becomes part of Rezko's indictment.
JANUARY 2005 Sun-Times reports of a spat between Gov. Blagojevich and his powerful father-in-law, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd). Mell triggers a probe after charging in a Sun-Times story that Blagojevich's adviser, Chris Kelly, "trades appointments to commissions for checks for $50,000" to the governor's political fund.
MARCH 2005 Blagojevich brags about his "testicular virility" in Mell battle and invites a probe into his administration, saying it's "clean as a hound's tooth."
MAY 2005 Stuart Levine, a Rezko associate and Blagojevich appointee, is indicted in connection with state hospital board business. Feds had his phone tapped since April.
AUGUST 2005 Levine indicted on corruption charges involving the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System.
OCTOBER 2005 Sun-Times outs Blagojevich as the man federal prosecutors called "Public Official A" in a plea deal struck by indicted Chicago attorney Joseph Cari.
EARLY 2006 Levine (left) secretly cooperates with authorities, wearing a hidden recording device.
SEPTEMBER 2006 Rezko indicted in two separate cases while overseas.
SEPTEMBER 2006 Levine makes a deal, pleading guilty to a litany of crimes in exchange for a 67-month prison sentence and his testimony against Rezko and others. His plea document exposes a dirty underworld involving a who's-who of Illinois political players.
DECEMBER 2007 Blagojevich adviser Chris Kelly (right) indicted on tax charges related to personal gambling debts.
MARCH 2008 Rezko trial begins. Three witnesses testify under oath they talked to Blagojevich about campaign donations and access in his administration.
June 4, 2008 Jury returns verdict; Rezko surrenders to immediately begin serving his prison time
Natasha Korecki