1 Million in Taxpayer Funds, Zero Results

TINLEY PARK, IL — A new lawsuit has put a spotlight on the procurement practices of Tinley Park’s emergency communications system, alleging that a village consultant secretly steered lucrative contracts to his own company at the expense of a long-standing vendor.

OnSite Communications USA, Inc., a family-owned provider of two-way radio equipment for municipalities, filed a verified complaint in Cook County Circuit Court on October 30, 2024, accusing communications consultant Max E. Machuta of manipulating the village’s bidding process to benefit his own company, Modular Communications System (ModUcom). The lawsuit names Machuta, ModUcom, and Municipal Services Consulting, Inc. (MS Consulting) as defendants.
At the heart of the case is a series of contracts awarded for upgrading Tinley Park’s police emergency radio system. OnSite alleges that it was the rightful vendor for these contracts, yet Machuta—while acting as an independent consultant for the village—used insider knowledge to undercut OnSite’s bids and secure the deals for his own firms.

Inside the Alleged Scheme

According to court documents, OnSite had been Tinley Park’s primary vendor for emergency radio equipment for nearly 20 years, supplying and maintaining two-way radio systems for police, fire, and public works departments. The lawsuit claims that in 2021, the village—under Machuta’s guidance—began soliciting bids for a large-scale, multi-year overhaul of its emergency communications infrastructure.
The bidding process was compromised, OnSite argues, because Machuta had a hidden interest in one of the competing vendors: ModUcom. Without disclosing his involvement, he allegedly rigged the selection process by:

• Using his consultant position to access OnSite’s bid proposals.
• Submitting lower competing bids from his own company, ModUcom, without OnSite's knowledge.
• Recommending ModUcom’s selection over OnSite to the Tinley Park Board of Trustees.
• Falsely including OnSite’s name in an August 2021 purchase request to mislead village officials into thinking OnSite was part of the contract—when in reality, the payments were directed to Machuta’s MS Consulting.

OnSite argues that these actions deprived them of substantial revenues and caused reputational damage, particularly after the newly installed radio system reportedly failed to function properly, compromising police emergency communications.

A Million-Dollar Fallout

The lawsuit states that while OnSite only received $14,830 for minor work on the project, ModUcom and MS Consulting ultimately received approximately $1,000,000 in payments from Tinley Park.
By 2022, issues with the new system began emerging. According to OnSite, police radio transmissions were unreliable, and in-building coverage for first responders was compromised. The failures prompted Tinley Park to abandon the system entirely in late 2023 and transition to Cook County’s radio network instead.
OnSite claims that when these problems surfaced, village officials wrongly blamed their company—even though it was ModUcom’s infrastructure, not OnSite’s equipment, that was failing. In July 2022, OnSite ended its business relationship with the village, stating that it refused to take responsibility for a system it did not install.

Legal Action and Calls for Accountability

The lawsuit accuses Machuta and the defendant companies of tortious interference with business relationships and expectancy, a legal claim alleging that they unlawfully disrupted OnSite’s contract opportunities.
OnSite is seeking at least $50,000 in damages, plus punitive damages and attorney fees, arguing that the defendants acted “willfully, maliciously, and in reckless disregard” of their business.
While no village officials are named in the lawsuit, the case raises questions about oversight and transparency in Tinley Park’s procurement process. Were officials aware of Machuta’s alleged conflicts of interest? Was due diligence conducted in awarding contracts?
Attempts to reach Machuta for comment were unsuccessful. Tinley Park officials declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

What Comes Next?

Legal experts suggest that if the court finds merit in OnSite’s claims, Tinley Park could face further scrutiny over its handling of public safety contracts. If proven, the allegations would signal a major breach of public trust, with taxpayer dollars funneled into a self-serving deal that ultimately failed to deliver.
As the case moves through the courts, OnSite’s lawsuit may reignite calls for tighter controls on municipal contracting—not just in Tinley Park, but across Illinois, where insider dealing and procurement fraud have been persistent issues.
For now, Tinley Park residents are left wondering:Was their emergency response system compromised for profit?