Central District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Quincy Man Sentenced to 12 1/2 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills today sentenced Sharnell Washington, 25, of Quincy, Ill., to serve 151 months (12 years 7 months) in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in Quincy in 2020. Washington, whose last known address was in the 800 block of N. 7th St., has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest in March 2020.
Washington pleaded guilty on Jan. 27, 2021, to distribution of methamphetamine and was found responsible for approximately 46.84 grams of pure meth, or ice, and an additional two grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
At sentencing, the court noted that Washington was convicted in Adams County in December 2016 for aggravated battery to a child and has prior convictions for trafficking methamphetamine.
The West Central Illinois Task Force; Illinois State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore represented the government in the prosecution in cooperation with the Office of Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha.
Repeat Sex Offender to Serve 47 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced Harold L. Williams, 40, of Pekin, Ill., a previously convicted sex offender, to serve 47 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor while he was on federal supervised release. The sentence consists of 45 years for enticing an out-of-state minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography and an additional, consecutive two years in prison for violating the terms of his previously imposed lifetime supervised release. Judge Shadid ordered Williams to again remain on lifetime supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
Immediately prior to today’s sentencing, Williams formally entered his plea of guilty to the charge against him, which was committed from January 2019, when Williams was released from federal prison, to April 2019.
In 2010, Williams was convicted and sentenced to concurrent prison sentences for state and federal crimes. Williams was sentenced to six years in state prison for aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Peoria County, Ill., and to 10 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography in the Central District of Illinois. He was released in January 2019.
Williams admitted that he violated the terms of his federal supervised release when he created a Facebook account shortly after his release from prison in January 2019. Williams used that account to communicate with a minor and trade child pornography with other Facebook users. Williams admitted that he solicited and enticed sexually explicit images from an out-of-state victim he knew was a minor. Williams also possessed several unauthorized devices without monitoring software, as required by the terms of his supervised release, to access the internet to trade child pornography.
Williams has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on April 9, 2019.
The U.S. Secret Service; Pekin Police Department; U.S. Probation Office; and, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the case prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Decatur Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Decatur, Ill., man, Christopher Bailey, 40, of the 500 block of West Center St., has been ordered to serve 27 years (324 months) in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography. Bailey was ordered to remain on federal supervised release for 15 years following his release from prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. Bailey has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on July 7, 2020.
As part of its sentence, the court found that Bailey has engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse based on his prior conviction in 2008, in California, for sexually abusing two children, aged five and six, and continuing child sexual abuse of children aged eight and five.
On Oct. 16, 2020, Bailey entered a plea of guilty to the indictment that charged him with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case. The charges were investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Decatur Police Department; and, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Illinois Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Inmate Assault that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A sergeant at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Ill., Willie Hedden, today entered pleas of guilty to charges related to his role in the May 2018 assault of an inmate who died as a result of the injuries sustained in the assault. Hedden entered his pleas via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Richard Mills. Sentencing is scheduled on July 21, 2021.
Central District of Illinois Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey; FBI-Springfield Division Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox; and, Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly made the announcement.
Hedden, 42, of Mt. Sterling, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death for his participation in the May 17, 2018, assault of an inmate who was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and posed no physical threat to Hedden or others. The victim, identified as Larry Earvin, 65, of Chicago, suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon, and other serious internal injuries, and died in June 2018. The assault occurred as Earvin was forcibly escorted from his residential unit at the prison to a separate, segregated housing unit.
In addition, Hedden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. Hedden admitted that he filed falsified incident reports with the prison that omitted reference to the assault and noted that Earvin was delivered to staff in the segregation housing unit “without further incident,” other than resisting the escort and refusing to walk. Further, Hedden admitted that he misled agents of the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of the assault, that he participated in and witnessed, and that he persuaded a friend, a fellow prison employee, to delete a text message Hedden sent following the assault in which Hedden admitted his involvement in the assault on Earvin.
This afternoon, the court held a status hearing by videoconference for co-defendants Todd Sheffler, 52, of Mendon, Ill., and Alex Banta, 29, of Quincy, Ill. The court scheduled trial for Sheffler and Banta on June 28, 2021. Sheffler and Banta are each charged with conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, and two counts of obstruction of justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represents the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by agents of the FBI-Springfield Division and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The statutory sentence for both conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death is any term of imprisonment up to life. For each count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct and obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former National President of Children's Blanket Charity Sentenced for Stealing More Than $400,000 from the OrganizationRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –The former national president of Project Linus, Carol Babbitt, 61, was sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing money from the not-for-profit organization. Project Linus provides handmade blankets for children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or in need. Babbitt, currently of Asheville, N.C., was ordered to serve 30 months in prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $410,250 to Project Linus and $7,856 to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Babbitt was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on May 11, to begin serving her prison term.
At the March 4th hearing, prior to sentencing, Babbitt formally entered pleas of guilty to all counts of the indictment which charged her with five counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering. Members and directors of the Project Linus organization attended the hearing and provided victim impact statements detailing their devotion to the work of Project Linus and the detrimental impact of Babbitt’s crime to the organization and them personally.
Babbitt served as the organization’s national president, from 2000 to 2016, when Babbitt and the charity’s headquarters were in Bloomington, Ill. In that capacity, she controlled the charity’s operations, including its bank accounts. In 2010, Babbitt began using Project Linus credit cards to pay for personal expenses, including clothing, electronics, pet grooming, furniture, tickets for sporting events, and personal travel. Babbitt used the charity’s funds to make credit card payments, and falsely classified the expenditure in the business ledger to hide her personal use of the funds.
In addition, Babbitt filed false and fraudulent personal tax returns with the state of Illinois in which she failed to report the funds she stole from Project Linus.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Illinois Department of Revenue; and the Bloomington Police Department conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the case prosecution.
Former Kankakee Wastewater Utilities Official Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Sentencing has been scheduled in June for a wastewater utilities official, Richard G. Simms, who pleaded guilty to defrauding Kankakee’s wastewater utilities, Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency (KRMA) and the city’s Environmental Service Utility (ESU), of more than $2 million. Simms, 73, currently of Marietta, Ohio, entered his guilty plea on March 1, by video conference, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long.
Simms, who owned and operated Simms Engineering, LTD., served for many years as executive director of KRMA, which was responsible for treating wastewater from its member municipalities, namely, Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Aroma Park, Ill. Simms was also the Superintendent of ESU that serves as Kankakee’s public works and sewer system.
Simms admitted that from 2014 through 2018, he fraudulently received approximately $2.2 million as payment to Simms Engineering for software development by Plum Flower International, a business that Simms and his daughter started in 2014. Although Simms did not have board approval or contracts with his engineering firm to develop software, he submitted fraudulent and inflated invoices for payment. Simms circumvented KRMA’s invoice payment procedure by submitting invoices directly to its accounting firm. As a result, KRMA’s superintendent and administrative assistant did not approve the invoices and were unaware of the Simms Engineering invoices for software development.
Simms Engineering transferred more than $2 million to Plum Flower International from 2014 to 2018, which represented more than 95% of Plum Flower’s revenue. Approximately $161,000 was used to pay another company to create a software application which they attempted to sell on the open market. Most of the remaining funds were used by Simms and his daughter for their personal benefit.
Sentencing is scheduled on June 28. The offense of federal program fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the case prosecution.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Rantoul Man on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Alan L. Dodd, 37, of the 100 Block of Shady Lawn Dr., Rantoul, Ill., with distribution and possession of child pornography.
Dodd was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 11, 2021. Dodd has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The indictment charges Dodd with distribution of child pornography on Oct. 25, 2020, and possession of child pornography on Feb. 11, 2021. Dodd is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long for arraignment on March 8, in Urbana.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in November 2020, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office received a Cybertip referral after four separate social media and instant messaging applications, Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, and Twitter, self-reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an online social media user possessed and distributed content believed to be of child pornography. The complaint alleges that the internet addresses of the user were related to Dodd, including from his home internet address in Rantoul.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. The NCMEC referral was reported to the Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force and referred to the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, and the Urbana Police Department conducted the investigation.
If convicted, the offense of distribution of child pornography (one count) carries a statutory penalty of at least five years to 20 years in prison; for possession of child pornography (one count), the penalty is up to 10 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Douglas J. Quivey to Serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Effective today, Douglas J. Quivey begins serving as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Mr. Quivey, who has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the district since January 2019, assumes the position as Acting U.S. Attorney by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Quivey served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Central District of Illinois from October 2014 to December 2018.
Mr. Quivey was in private practice from 1996 to 2014 in Charleston, Urbana, and Springfield, Ill. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and began his legal career as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Richard Mills from 1994 to 1996. He earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Eastern Illinois University.
In 2010, Mr. Quivey retired as a lieutenant colonel following 26 years of service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.
A native of Charleston, Ill., Mr. Quivey resides with his wife and family in Springfield.
Peoria Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving, Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –U.S. District Judge James Shadid has sentenced a Peoria man, Nicky McDonald, who is a registered sex-offender, to 15 years in prison for downloading and possessing images and videos of children being sexually exploited. In addition, at sentencing, on Feb. 11, 2021, Judge Shadid ordered that McDonald, 61, remain on supervised release for a period of life following the completion of his prison term.
On Oct. 26, 2020, McDonald entered guilty pleas to downloading and possessing child pornography in August 2019. At the time of the offense, McDonald was homeless and living at the Peoria Rescue Mission at 601 SW Adams St., across the street from the Peoria Police Department. McDonald admitted that he used the free Peoria Police Department Wi-Fi to view and download child pornography on his cellphone.
At the time of the crimes, McDonald was required to register as a sex offender under Illinois law after pleading guilty in 1993, to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Edgar County, Ill. McDonald was also convicted of attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Edgar County, Ill., in 1997.
McDonald has remained in law enforcement custody since he was arrested and charged in October 2019, in Peoria County. He was indicted on the federal charges in January 2020, and was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The U.S. Secret Service; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office; and, the Peoria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Morris represented the federal government in the case prosecution in coordination with the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Georgetown Man Sentenced to More than 28 Years in Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Ian J. Dukes, 38, of Georgetown, Ill., was sentenced today to 342 months (28 ½ years) for his role in child sex crimes involving two minors. Chief U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow imposed the sentence which also includes 15 years of supervised release to follow his prison term.
On Aug. 14, 2020, Dukes pled guilty to all counts as charged: attempted enticement of a minor, under age 18, to engage in sexual activity in July 2019; attempted sexual exploitation of the same minor; enticement of a second minor; sex trafficking of children; and, receiving child pornography of a second minor.
A co-defendant, Julie P. Snyder, 43, of the 400 block of W. University Ave., Urbana, Ill., was also charged, with Dukes, for attempted enticement of a minor. On Nov. 12, 2020, Snyder pled guilty to the charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2021.
Both Dukes and Snyder have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests on the charges: Dukes on Feb. 11, 2020, and Snyder on March 6, 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represents the government in the prosecution. The charges are the result of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division; the Illinois State Police, and the Urbana Police Department, in coordination with the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Champaign Man Sentenced to Prison for Counterfeit Check SchemeRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Chief U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow today sentenced a Champaign, Ill., man, Tommie Slayton, 36, of the 2400 block of Clayton Boulevard, to serve 24 months in prison for engaging in a counterfeit check scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of more than $100,000. Slayton was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals and will begin serving his sentence immediately. In addition, Slayton was ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
On Oct. 20, 2020, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid sentenced Slayton’s co-defendant Stephanie Lemons, 43, of the 1200 block of South Vine Street, Urbana, Ill. to serve 18 months in prison for her role in engaging in the counterfeit check scheme. Lemons was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on March 2, 2021, to begin serving her sentence. Following her sentence, Lemons was ordered to serve two years of supervised release.
Slayton pleaded guilty to the charges immediately prior to today’s sentencing. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Slayton was charged with seven counts of bank fraud. On Feb. 6, 2020, Lemons entered pleas of guilty to the conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud as charged in the indictment.
Lemons and Slayton conspired together and with others to engage in a scheme to pass more than 120 counterfeit checks from July through December 2018. As a result of the scheme, counterfeit checks were presented at Walmart Stores in Champaign and Bloomington, Ill., and forged checks at Heartland Bank of Champaign, Ill.
The charges are the result of investigation by the FDIC Office of Inspector General and the Champaign and Urbana Police Departments, in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson in the prosecution.
Former Tech Employee at Blue Ridge School District Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme; Agrees to Pay Back MoneyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A former technology coordinator who worked for Blue Ridge Community School District in Farmer, City, Ill., Joshua Raymer, 45, today waived indictment and pled guilty to a scheme that defrauded the district of approximately $336,276 over two years. Raymer, of Clinton, Ill., entered his guilty plea by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins.
According to court documents, during the time Raymer carried out the scheme, from April 2016 to December 2018, he falsely represented to a district official that computer switches had failed, and replacements were needed to maintain the district’s computer system. Raymer repeatedly used his position to have the district order and pay for more than 100 computer switches that it did not use or need, from two separate vendors, at a total cost of more than $400,000. Another 28 computer switches were ordered that were never paid for that resulted in a loss to the vendor of approximately $106,200.
When Raymer received the switches, he admitted that he sold them as if they were his personal property and used the money for himself. Acting under his name and doing business as “The Bored Woodworker,” Raymer contacted at least five different buyers and negotiated a purchase price for the switches that had been shipped to and paid for by the Blue Ridge school district. Raymer then shipped the switches to his buyers and had payments issued to himself or his business name.
Sentencing for Raymer is scheduled on June 21, 2021. As part of the plea agreement, Raymer has agreed to pay full restitution, in the amount of $336,276 to Blue Ridge School District and its insurer, and $106,200 to a computer vendor. In addition, although it is not charged conduct, Raymer has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $17,897 to Special Olympics Illinois, where he worked after he was no longer employed by the school district.
The statutory penalty for the offense of wire fraud is up to 20 years in prison. The government has agreed to recommend a sentence within the applicable advisory Sentencing Guidelines range.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass. The investigation was conducted by the Farmer City Police Department, with the full cooperation of the school district, which referred the matter to law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – United States Attorney John C. Milhiser announced today that he has submitted his resignation to the President, to be effective Feb. 28, 2021.
Mr. Milhiser thanked Senators Duckworth and Durbin, and Representatives Davis, LaHood, and former Representative Shimkus for their support in recommending him as a nominee to President Donald J. Trump. Milhiser was nominated in August 2018 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January 2019. Pending Senate confirmation, Milhiser was appointed to the position by the federal judiciary in the Central District on Oct. 31, 2018.
“It has been an honor to serve as United States Attorney. I was privileged to work alongside the men and women in law enforcement across the 46 counties served by the office,” said Milhiser. “We owe these selfless public servants our gratitude as they risk their lives each day protecting all of us.”
Milhiser added, “When I accepted this position, I knew this day would come. My plan was simple - to do my best each day to make our community a safer, better place, until I’m asked to leave. And, now, I’ve been asked to leave by the Biden administration.”
During Milhiser’s tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted numerous defendants including the weeks-long trials of Brent Christenson who, in July 2019, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the June 2017 murder of visiting Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang, and of 13 members of a Peoria street gang convicted and sentenced for acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking. Pending cases include civil rights charges against three Illinois correctional officers who allegedly assaulted an inmate, who was restrained and handcuffed behind his back, and who later died, and the recent indictment of former Illinois senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann for fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion related to his alleged misuse of campaign funds.
As U.S. Attorney, Milhiser focused on building strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement and with the community. While guiding the office during the longest-ever government shutdown and an unprecedented global pandemic, Milhiser initiated and conducted numerous training and educational events. This included a new initiative known as BLAST, Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community, that not only introduced high school students to career opportunities in criminal justice, but also promoted greater mutual understanding between citizens and law enforcement officers.
“I appreciate the opportunity to have served the people of Central Illinois and to lead the lawyers and staff who will continue the important work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Milhiser.
Prior to serving as U.S. Attorney, Milhiser served eight years as the elected State’s Attorney in Sangamon County, Springfield, Ill., where he partnered with the court and service providers to establish specialized court programs for non-violent, first-time drug offenders, defendants with mental health needs, and veterans with specialized needs. A strong advocate for victims, Milhiser established a program that hosts a courthouse facility dog to assist victims and witnesses as they participate in the prosecution of violent crimes.
The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois serves as the chief law enforcement officer for the 46 counties across the mid-section of the state. The district’s headquarters office is in Springfield with district offices in Peoria, Rock Island, and Urbana, Ill. The office is responsible for conducting federal criminal prosecutions and protecting the interests of the United States by pursuing and defending against claims in civil litigation.
Two Federal Defendants Indicted on Charges Related to Attempted Escape from Sangamon County JailRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Two federal defendants who were housed at the Sangamon County Jail, in Springfield, Ill., while in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, have been indicted with two others for conspiracy to escape from prison and conspiracy to possess contraband in prison in December 2020. The indictment, returned on Feb. 3, 2021, charges Randy Bull, 38, of Alton, Ill., and James Russwinkel, 36, of Springfield, Ill., both defendants in separate federal drug cases, along with Joshua Beechler, 40, and Allison Poorman, 26, both of Springfield, Ill.
On Aug. 12, 2020, U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins ordered that Bull remain detained related to his federal case in which he is charged with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Russwinkel was ordered detained on Oct. 23, 2020, on federal charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that from Nov. 16 to Dec. 7, 2020, the four conspired to smuggle contraband items to Bull and Russwinkel in the jail so they could use the items to escape. According to the indictment, Poorman, a friend of Russwinkel, and others, purchased items including a hack saw, saw blades, nylon rope, a pry bar and smoke bombs, and Beechler, an associate of Russwinkel and Poorman, traveled to the jail and delivered the items. Bull and Russwinkel then allegedly used a makeshift rope to pull the items up to their cell through a hole they had cut in a jail cell window.
Each defendant, if convicted, for conspiracy to commit escape of prisoners in custody and conspiracy to possess contraband in prison, faces up to five years in prison. Bull and Russwinkel are also charged with two counts each of possession of contraband in prison, which carries a penalty of up to five to 10 years depending on the type of prohibited object. Beechler and Poorman are also charged with two counts each of providing contraband in prison which carries a penalty of up to five to 10 years in prison depending on the type of prohibited object.
Bull and Russwinkel remain in custody at the Sangamon County jail on federal charges. Beechler and Poorman are currently in custody on related state court charges.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Springfield Woman Indicted on Charges of Fraud Related to Small Business Administration COVID-19 Disaster Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury today returned an indictment that charges a Springfield, Ill., woman, Amber L. Bolen, 41, with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits available through the Small Business Administration.
The indictment alleges that in July 2020, Bolen, of the 1900 block of Gregory Ct., submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan for a business, known as “amber bolen,” which did not exist. The indictment alleges that Bolen made false representations on the loan application including that she owned the business, listed at the same address as her residential address, since 2013; that it was engaged in the transportation industry; and, that the business employed 11 people and had gross revenues of more than $90,000 for the 12 months prior to Jan. 31, 2020. The SBA wired approximately $41,000 in loan proceeds into Bolen’s bank account.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits is up to 30 years in prison; the maximum penalty for wire fraud is up to 20 years in prison.
The charges were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division as part of a Central Illinois Task Force directed at combatting COVID-19 related fraud. Other participating agencies in the task force include the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Secret Service; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore is representing the government in the case prosecution.
Covid-19 disaster relief and enhanced unemployment benefits are intended to help people and businesses suffering as a result of the pandemic. If members of the public suspect anyone fraudulently obtained or misused benefits, they should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NDCF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submit the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotline staff will obtain information regarding complaints, which will then be reviewed by law enforcement officials. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Illinois State Senator, Gubernatorial Candidate Sam McCann Indicted for Alleged Fraudulent Use of Campaign Funds, Money Laundering, Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury today indicted former Illinois State Senator Sam McCann on charges of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion related to his alleged misuse of campaign money for personal expenses. The indictment alleges that from May 2015 to June 2020, McCann engaged in a scheme to convert more than $200,000 in contributions and donations made to his campaign committees to pay himself and make personal purchases, and that he concealed his fraud from donors, the public, the Illinois State Board of Elections and law enforcement authorities.
The indictment was announced by Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser; FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox, Springfield Division; and, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge David Talcott, St. Louis Field Office.
William Samuel McCann, Jr., 51, of Plainview, Ill., served as a state senator for the 49th District of Illinois from 2011 to 2013, and for the redrawn 50th District from 2013 to January 2019. McCann formed the Conservative Party of Illinois and in 2018, launched an unsuccessful bid for Illinois Governor. McCann previously lived in Carlinville, Ill., and owned and operated two construction related businesses.
McCann organized multiple political committees that were registered with the Illinois State Board of Elections: Sam McCann for Senate; Sam McCann for Senate Committee; McCann for Illinois; and, Conservative Party of Illinois. According to the indictment, from April 2011 to November 2018, McCann and his political committees received more than $5 million in campaign donations.
The indictment alleges multiple instances when McCann used campaign funds to purchase personal vehicles, pay personal debts, make mortgage payments, and pay himself, including the following:
- McCann allegedly used more than $60,000 in campaign funds to partially fund the purchases of a 2017 Ford Expedition in April 2017 and a 2018 Ford F-250 truck in July 2018, which he titled in his own name and used for his personal travel. McCann then used campaign funds for loan payments on the F-250 and for fuel and insurance expenses for both vehicles, while at the same time using campaign funds to reimburse mileage expense claims which he did not incur.
- In April 2018, McCann allegedly used $18,000 in campaign funds to purchase a 2018 recreational travel trailer, and in May 2018, used $25,000 in campaign funds to buy a 2006 recreational motor home, both of which McCann titled in his personal name.
McCann established an online account with a recreational vehicle rental business in Ohio and listed the vehicles for rent identifying Sam McCann as the owner. McCann then established a second account with the same rental business and identified himself as William McCann, a potential renter, with a different residential address and email than those he listed as the owner. From approximately May 2018 to June 2018, McCann, while representing himself as the renter, William, rented both the travel trailer and motor home from Sam, the owner, through the RV rental business. McCann caused a total of approximately $62,666 in campaign funds be used to pay the rental cost of the vehicles. The rental business retained approximately $9,838 for commission and paid McCann, as the owner, approximately $52,827 by direct deposit to McCann’s personal checking account. McCann reimbursed the campaign accounts $18,000, resulting in more than $77,000 in campaign funds used to buy and rent from himself. - On or about Oct. 4, 2016, McCann allegedly used a $20,000 cashier’s check funded by a campaign account and issued to himself to pay off a personal loan, including legal fees, that had originally been issued to him as an equipment loan in 2011 and was in collection by the bank due to non-payment.
- From May 2015 to August 2020, McCann allegedly used campaign funds to pay approximately $64,750 on two separate personal mortgage loans that were secured by his former residence in Carlinville and an adjoining property used as an office for his construction business.
- In November 2018, after an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Illinois, when he was no longer a candidate for office and did not financially support any other candidate, and continuing to June 2020, McCann allegedly caused the Conservative Party of Illinois to issue approximately $187,000 in payments to himself personally and an additional $52,282 in payments for payroll taxes. Using a payroll service, McCann was allegedly able to conceal himself as the payee for the expenditures from the campaign account.
- The indictment also alleges that approximately $50,000 in campaign funds were used for personal expenses including Green Dot credit card payments related to a family vacation in Colorado and other personal expenses, charges from Apple iTunes, Amazon, a skeet and trap club, Cabela’s, Scheels, Best Buy, a gun store, and cash withdrawals.
In addition to wire fraud and money laundering, the indictment charges McCann with one count of tax evasion related to his joint return for calendar year 2018. McCann allegedly failed to report income from his 2018 rental payments to himself for the RV trailer and motor home. In addition, in March 2018, McCann used a $10,000 check issued by a campaign account to make a down payment to a Shipman, Ill., business for a motor home. When the purchase was not completed, the business issued a $10,000 refund check payable to William McCann, which he deposited to his personal checking account and failed to report as income received.
McCann is scheduled to appear via telephone conference on Feb. 16, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins for arraignment.
For the period of the alleged fraud scheme, from May 2015 to June 2020, the estimated loss is more than $200,000. If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of wire fraud (seven counts) and one count of money laundering is up to 20 years in prison. For tax evasion, the statutory penalty is up to five years in prison.
The charges are the result of investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Champaign Man Pleads Guilty to Inciting RiotRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill.– A Champaign, Ill., man, Shamar N. Betts, 20, today pleaded guilty to inciting a riot in Champaign, Ill., that began on May 31 and continued overnight to June 1, 2020. Sentencing has been scheduled on June 14, 2021.
In court today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Betts admitted to his role in inciting the riot that began at Market Place Mall and spread to area businesses and moved to the commercial area of North Prospect Ave.:
On May 31, 2020, at 10:31 a.m., Betts posted a statement to Facebook and attached a flyer of a stock image of a burning vehicle overlaid with a date and time: “RIOT @ MarketPlace Mall, Time: 3.” The flyer listed items to bring including “friends, family, posters, bricks, bookbags, etc.” In a post accompanying the flyer, Betts wrote, in part, “We gotta put Champaign/Urbana on the map - expletive – gone hear and fear us too. SLIDE let’s get busy.”
Before 3:00 p.m., Champaign Police Department officers went to Market Place Mall to attempt to prevent a riot. When officers arrived, approximately 50 to 75 people had gathered. The group continued to grow in number, and at approximately 3:12 p.m., the group began breaking out windows at businesses located in the mall, including Old Navy and Macy’s, and looting merchandise from within. Betts is pictured in video footage of the riot exiting the Old Navy store with a handful of clothing items.
During the riot, Betts also used his cell phone to make and post a Facebook Live video. The video depicts Betts carrying multiple items, including numerous pairs of khaki pants with Old Navy tags attached. Betts is heard in the video repeatedly stating, “We out here…” In another video, taken by a bystander, Betts is seen carrying multiple items, including khaki pants, and walking from Old Navy. As Betts walked by the bystander, he stated, “I started this s---.” Betts also used his cell phone during the riot to instigate others to join or to brag about starting the riot including statements such as “I started this,” and “Are you sliding to my riot?”
Dozens of off-duty officers were called to the riot where there were multiple assaults of officers and intense confrontations with the police by the group. This activity continued throughout the night and into the early morning hours of June 1, 2020. By the end of the night, approximately 50 businesses in the area had been vandalized and / or looted, including multiple small businesses that were set to reopen on June 1, after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, Betts admitted that after the riot, he fled to Mississippi where he used his cell phone to conduct internet searches such as, “can police find your location by logging in messenger,” “can police track your facebook,” and “what are charges for starting a riot.”
Betts was arrested in Mississippi on June 5, 2020, by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The Champaign Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, conducted the investigation in coordination with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the prosecution.
For the offense of inciting a riot, the statutory penalty is up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release following imprisonment.
Following today’s hearing, Betts was remanded to the custody of Champaign County, where he is being held on related burglary charges.
Central Illinois Sex Trafficker Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a Central Illinois man, Franshon Stapleton, 48, to multiple life prison terms for trafficking young women for sex. Stapleton, of Springfield, ran his prostitution enterprise from a motel in Champaign where he lived, and used women he recruited from Champaign, Sangamon, and Peoria counties.
Prosecutors described the degradation and manipulation Stapleton used in 2017 and 2018, to exploit desperate young women, who were fighting drug addiction and homelessness, to force them to perform sex acts for money. Stapleton arranged the encounters, set the price, and collected the money. Stapleton used violence and threats of violence to force them to engage in sex with men. Through constant manipulation, Stapleton exploited his victims’ desperation as he ensured the women were ‘indebted’ to him for the motel rooms, drugs, and food he provided.
At sentencing, Judge Shadid stated that a sentence of anything less than life would ignore the nature of the offense, the impact to the victims, the defendant’s lack of remorse, his prior criminal history, and the sentencing guidelines.
U.S. Attorney John Milhiser commended the strength of the victims who provided critical evidence against the defendant and recognized the sustained efforts by federal and local law enforcement to locate, investigate and prosecute dangerous predators and remove them from the community.
Stapleton was ordered to serve a life sentence for each of the four counts of sex trafficking. The sentences will be served concurrently with additional five-year prison terms for each of the 13 related charges charged. Stapleton pleaded guilty to all the charges against him on Sept. 28, 2020, as his trial was set to begin. He has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on the charges in May 2018.
The charges were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Urbana Police Department; the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office; the Illinois State Police Forensics Laboratory; and, the Champaign Police Department with cooperation from Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly M. Peirson and Ryan Finlen represented the government in the prosecution.
Indictment Charges Vermilion County Man with Child Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Hoopeston, Ill., man, Dalton M.C. Burmeister, 27, has been indicted on charges of child sexual exploitation and trafficking of child pornography. The indictment alleges that in September 2020, Burmeister exploited children under the age of six to engage in sexual activity and to create an image of the conduct and that he trafficked images of child pornography.
Burmeister was previously charged by criminal complaint and was arrested on Dec. 22, 2020. U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Burmeister remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of child sexual exploitation (four counts) is 15 to 30 years in prison; for distribution (three counts) and receiving (one count) child pornography, the penalty is five to 20 years in prison. For possession of child pornography (one count), the statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represents the government in the prosecution. The charges are the result of investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Grand Jury Indicts Danville Sex Offender for Alleged Violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – The grand jury yesterday returned an indictment that charges David W. Morlan, 66, of Danville, Ill., with failure to register and update his address as required by the federal Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act (SORNA.)
The indictment against Morlan alleges that from June to December 2020, Morlan, a convicted sex offender, failed to update his registration. Morlan was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021, and charged in a criminal complaint. The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that Morlan was convicted in Vermilion County, Ill., in September 2006, for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor, a five-year-old victim. Further, the indictment alleges that Morlan, who had registered his address in Indiana, was living in Danville, Ill., but had not updated his registration.
During a court appearance on Jan. 13, 2021. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Morlan was ordered to remain detained in U.S. Marshals Service custody.
If convicted, the penalty for violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution which was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Danville Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Urbana University High School Teacher, Coach Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a former physical education teacher at Urbana’s University High School to serve 10 years in prison for distribution and possession of child pornography. Douglas O. Mynatt, 57, of the 100 Block of Dropseed Ave., Savoy, Ill., also previously served as the coach of the school’s girls’ cross-country program. In addition to the prison sentence, Mynatt was ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following his release from prison. Mynatt has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in April 2020.
On Oct. 9, 2020, Mynatt pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Mynatt was identified by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office after an instant messaging application self-reported that one of its online social media users possessed content believed to be images and movies of child pornography. As a result of the cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the computer addresses for logins by the user were identified as Mynatt, including from his home address in Savoy and at the University of Illinois in Champaign / Urbana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution. U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, and the Urbana Police Department conducted the investigation.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Decatur Man to Serve 90 Years in Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced Gary L. Boyle, 36, of Decatur, Ill., to 50 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography. Boyle’s federal sentence will be served consecutive to a state sentence of 40 years ordered in September 2020 in Macon County Court for predatory criminal sexual assault. Boyle, of the 5400 block of West Main St., was remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service.
In court documents and at today’s hearing, the government described Boyle as “a manipulative pedophile who consumes young children for his own sexual pleasure,” and as an avid collector of violent child pornography. Evidence demonstrates that Boyle’s collection included images of violent sexual acts committed by adults against toddlers and six-to eight-year old children who are nude and bound with rope at their wrists. Boyle participated in online child exploitation groups where he traded child pornography and ultimately live-streamed abuse against an eight-year-old victim.
On Sept. 6, 2020, Boyle pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the federal case. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Decatur Police Department, and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Members, Associates of Street Gangs and Others Face Drug Trafficking and Related Charges in SpringfieldRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – More than 20 members and associates of Springfield street gangs and others have been indicted on federal and state drug trafficking and related charges within the past week. The charges allege the individuals have engaged in various capacities to distribute drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in Springfield in 2019 and 2020.
These charges are the result of an ongoing joint effort by federal, state and local law enforcement to address drug trafficking and related violence in Springfield. Participating agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration; Springfield Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and, the Illinois State Police. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the cases.
To date, 15 individuals charged have been arrested. A listing of the federal and state defendants arrested is attached; the names of those charged but not yet apprehended are not included.
The federal defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute large quantities of deadly drugs, including fentanyl and carry penalties of up to life in prison if convicted. This includes conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, along with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, crack and heroin. The indictment includes special findings for two defendants, Derrick Bailey and Denziel Witherspoon, for prior federal convictions for possession with intent to distribute drugs. Four defendants, including Bailey, D. Witherspoon, and Cooper, have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, a charge that carries a statutory penalty of five years to life to be served consecutive to any sentence ordered for the underlying drug offense.
“These charges represent another chapter in the cooperative effort to disrupt drug distribution and violence in Springfield,” stated U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. “This is an ongoing operation and we will continue to identify, prosecute, and take off the streets those who seek to cause harm in our communities.”
“This wave of collaborative enforcement demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our federal, state and local authorities to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in Springfield,” said Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals and drug dealers from our community.”
Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow issued the following statement:
First and foremost, I would like to recognize the cooperative effort of law enforcement in Sangamon County for this multi-month, multi-jurisdictional investigation. It is widely known among law enforcement in Springfield that gangs, guns, and illegal sales of narcotics are intermingled with other criminal activity. These individuals and their associates have wreaked havoc on our community for far to long by distributing dangerous drugs to our citizens and others while being involved in other illegal and violent activity.
While this is an ongoing investigation and we anticipate additional arrests, let this be a strong message to those involved in criminal activity that law enforcement in Sangamon County continues to work together to remove and hold responsible parties accountable for such crimes.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Springfield Man Indicted for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An initial trial date of Feb. 2, 2021, has been scheduled for a Springfield, Ill., man, Evan Taylor, 24, indicted on federal child pornography charges last week. Taylor, of the 2000 block of Claremont Dr., made his initial appearance on Dec. 21, via video conference in federal court in Springfield. Taylor was arrested on Dec. 18, and was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a detention hearing scheduled on Dec. 28.
The indictment charges Taylor with sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly victimizing minors from August 2018 to May 2020. Taylor is also charged with distribution of pornographic images of children; travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity; enticement of a minor; receiving child pornography; and, using a computer and cell phone to attempt to transmit information about a minor.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of sexual exploitation of a child (five counts) is 15 to 30 years in prison; for distribution of child pornography (six counts) and receiving child pornography (one count), the penalty is five to 20 years in prison. Taylor is also charged with one count each of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, which carries a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison; enticement of a minor - 10 years to life in prison; and use of a computer or cell phone to attempt to transmit information about a minor carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution in coordination with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Marengo, Ill., Police Department; the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office; Jasonville, Ind., Police Department; and, the Indiana State Police.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Indictment Charges Pair with $2 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Two former employees of a Central Illinois boat and watercraft dealership have been charged with fraud in an indictment that was unsealed today when Jeffrey D. Gibbs, 55, of Farmer City, Ill., made his initial appearance in federal court in Peoria. An initial trial date has been scheduled on March 15, 2021. Gibbs was arrested on Dec. 18, 2020; he was released following today’s hearing with conditions, including location monitoring. A summons has been issued to Kara M. Wilkey, 45, of Maroa, Ill., to make her initial appearance on Jan. 12, 2021.
Mid Illinois Boats, Inc., doing business as Clinton Marine II, operated new and used boat dealerships in East Peoria and Weldon, Ill. The indictment alleges that Gibbs and Wilkey, former employees of Clinton Marine II, operated a multifaced fraud scheme that defrauded their employer, banks, and the dealerships’ customers of more than $2 million. The pair allegedly spent the money on their own automobiles, vacations, credit cards, utilities and shopping.
The indictment alleges that from January 2014 to July 2019, Gibbs and Wilkey used their positions with Clinton Marine II, which included management of day-to-day operations, to carry out their fraud scheme. The fraud allegedly included obtaining loans on fictitious boats and on false transactions; taking out loans using forged signatures; selling boats on behalf of customers but not paying off the customers loan or remitting payment to the seller; and, collecting payment for taxes, titles and fees, but failing to pay those expenses.
The charges are the result of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office; the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; and, the Illinois Secretary of State. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer is representing the government in the case prosecution.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of wire fraud (nine counts) and mail fraud (two counts) is up to 20 years in prison; the maximum penalty for each count of bank fraud (four counts) is up to 30 years in prison; and, each count of aggravated identity theft (three counts) carries a penalty of two years in prison and requires that at least two years must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on any other count.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Rochester Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills sentenced Chase Brown, 21, of the 1000 block of Heathrow Lane, Rochester, Ill., to serve 37 months in federal prison for operating a sham medical equipment reseller business that defrauded businesses and individuals from various states. A hearing has been scheduled on Jan. 19, 2021, to determine the final restitution amount.
The court determined that Brown’s sentence be enhanced based on a finding that he engaged in ‘sophisticated means’ to carry out the scheme. Brown was held accountable for an intended loss of more than $750,000; however, the parties have agreed that for determining restitution, the actual loss and restitution amount is more than $300,000 but less than $750,000.
Brown pleaded guilty on July 24, 2020, to charges that he established a business known as Midwest Surgical, LLC, in May 2019, purportedly to purchase and resell medical equipment. Government evidence established that the business did not operate legitimately and was used to perpetuate the scheme.
At the sentencing hearing, on Dec. 16, 2020, Judge Mills cited the extent of the fraud that was perpetrated on multiple victims in multiple states, and noted that Brown committed the elaborate fraud while he was on probation for deceptive practice in Sangamon County. The government cited examples of Brown’s brazen fraud including stealing a friend’s credit card information and using credit card information from another victim to pay for a Jeep, a Springfield bar bill, payment to a Springfield car firm, and to purchase a second vehicle for a friend. Evidence was also presented that Brown defrauded a teenager of $14,000 he had saved from working jobs to purchase his first car.
Brown was arrested in Florida in March 2020, and has remained detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service based upon the court’s prior finding that Brown presented a continued economic danger to the community.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General and the Springfield Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the prosecution.
Indictment Alleges Two Peoria Businessmen Embezzled Funds, Revenue Related to Pere Marquette Hotel Complex DevelopmentRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal grand jury has indicted two Peoria area businessmen who led a redevelopment project to renovate the Pere Marquette Hotel and to add a Marriott Courtyard. Gary E. Matthews, 78, and Monte J. Brannan, 67, are charged with using funds provided by investors, the City of Peoria and others, and hotel revenues to enrich themselves and their other business interests from 2008 to 2018.
According to the indictment, Matthews formed GEM Hospitality LLC in 2008 to own and develop the hotel complex in downtown Peoria. GEM was managed by EM Properties, Ltd., another entity that Matthews owned. Brannan became a co-managing partner of GEM in July 2011 when Matthews sold Brannan 50 percent ownership for $1 million.
In 2008, the City of Peoria and Matthews reached a redevelopment agreement for the hotel project to include renovation of the Pere Marquette and the addition of a Pere Marquette Courtyard Marriott hotel. The Pere Marquette closed for renovation in December 2011 and reopened in June 2013. The Pere Marquette Courtyard opened in July 2014.
Funding and loans for the project, estimated at $92 million, were provided by a fund known as Indure, by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and National Electrical Association Diversified Underwritten Real Estate Fund LLC; local banks; the City of Peoria; CORE Construction Services of Illinois; and, private investors. All the lending agreements, including a side letter amendment with the City of Peoria, which loaned $7 million and provided a $29 million grant to fund the project, set forth requirements that Matthews and Brannan were not allowed to take fees and revenues of the hotel development except as explicitly provided.
Marriott International managed the Pere Marquette after it opened in mid-2013 and the Courtyard after its opening in 2014. While Marriott managed the hotels, Matthews and Brannan did not have access to the hotels’ revenues. In 2014, Matthews alleged that Marriott had provided poor management and sought to change management to one of his companies. The City of Peoria rejected Matthews’ proposal, but agreed to execute a side letter amendment to loan documents to allow Matthews’ request to retain First Hospitality Group of Rosemont, Ill., to handle hotel management.
Under the side letter amendment, Matthews and Brannan were required to file monthly certificates of compliance with the various provisions, including that there be no payment of fees directly or indirectly to Matthews and Brannan. The indictment alleges that Matthews and Brannan filed only three compliance certificates which were false, and then stopped complying with the requirement to submit the compliance certificates.
Meanwhile, the indictment alleges that under First Hospitality Group management, Matthews and Brannan directed FHG to transfer monthly payments from the hotel accounts to an account they controlled. In defiance of terms of the loans, Matthews and Brannan allegedly used FHG to fraudulently obtain funds for themselves from the revenues of the hotels. At the time, Matthews and Brannan knew that FHG was unable to pay other financial obligations of the hotels, including payments to Marriott and vendors.
Financial statements provided by FHG listed the payments as monthly rent, garage rent, Marriott rewards expenses, and franchise fees. Matthews and Brannan allegedly provided these statements to others involved in the project’s financing knowing that the statements were misleading and concealed the actual diversion of the funds to Matthews and Brannan.
On or about June 30, 2016, Marriott issued a notice of default to Matthews and Brannan because of past due obligations of $1.4 million. Matthews and Brannan did not pay the past due obligations and allegedly continued to divert funds to themselves. When Marriott shut off the reservation system for the hotels, in January 2017, Matthews and Brannan made a payment to keep the reservation system active.
Following Marriott’s notice of default, Indure issued a notice of default on its delinquent loan and in February 2017, Indure filed a foreclosure action. Following the foreclosure filing, the indictment alleges that Matthews and Brannan and their related businesses named in the foreclosure filing, caused repeated delays in court proceedings, while maintaining access to the hotels’ revenues.
The indictment alleges that even though they defaulted on loans and other obligations, Matthews and Brannan continued to fraudulently transfer hotel revenues, diverting approximately $750,000 to themselves after the notice of foreclosure.
As a result of the scheme, Matthews and Brannan caused FHG to transfer approximately $13.8 million of the hotels’ revenues to the account they controlled and diverted approximately $1.6 million to themselves and their businesses.
Further, the indictment charges Brannan with three counts of concealment of bankruptcy assets after he filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in April 2018. Brannan allegedly concealed a vehicle, $80,000 in cash, and omitted bank accounts, including an account for a startup known as Seduction Boutique, in which he was a shareholder and authorized signer of the account.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, conducted the investigation. The bankruptcy charge resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10). Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represent the government in the prosecution.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of mail fraud (five counts); money laundering conspiracy (one count), and money laundering (nine counts) is up to 20 years in prison; and, money laundering (three counts) is up to 10 years in prison. Brannan faces a maximum statutory penalty for concealment of bankruptcy assets (three counts) of up to five years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Two Central Illinois Men Indicted on Charges of Fraud Related to Small Business Administration COVID-19 Disaster Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury has returned indictments in unrelated cases against two Central Illinois men, one from Springfield and the other from Beardstown, that allege fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits available through the Small Business Administration.
The indictment against Charles J. Jones, 25, of the 500 block of N. 13th St., Springfield, Ill., alleges that in June 2020, Jones submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan for a business, known as “Just Like Jilla,” which did not exist. The indictment alleges that Jones made false representations on the loan application including that the business had existed more than one year, that it employed 11 people, and, had gross revenues of $1.2 million. In addition, Jones allegedly denied having been convicted of a felony within five years of when he completed the loan application. The SBA wired approximately $160,000 in loan proceeds into Jones’ bank account. Jones is also charged with four counts of wire fraud.
A second indictment, against Peter Garrido-Baez, 44, of the 500 block of E. 3rd St., Beardstown, Ill., alleges that Garrido-Baez applied for and received two SBA Covid-19 related loans for “Garrido Apartments;” one for approximately $26,000 and one for approximately $72,500. After the loan proceeds were received, Garrido-Baez allegedly transferred $72,500 into a different account at a local bank and then had $79,800 wired from the local bank to a bank account in the Dominican Republic. The applicable loan agreement mandates that loan proceeds be solely used as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster and expressly prohibits using any portion of the loan proceeds to relocate outside the disaster area. Garrido-Baez allegedly wired the money to the Dominican Republic for construction and building apartment buildings in the Dominican Republic. Garrido-Baez is also charged with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Each of the men has been issued a summons to appear on Jan. 5, 2021, for arraignment in federal court in Springfield. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits is up to 30 years in prison. The maximum penalties for both mail fraud and money laundering is up to 20 years in prison.
The charges were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division as part of a Central Illinois Task Force directed at combatting COVID-19 related fraud. Other participating agencies in the task force include the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Secret Service; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Quivey is representing the government in the case prosecutions.
Covid-19 disaster relief and enhanced unemployment benefits are intended to help people and businesses suffering as a result of the pandemic. If members of the public suspect anyone fraudulently obtained or misused benefits, they should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NDCF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submit the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotline staff will obtain information regarding complaints, which will then be reviewed by law enforcement officials. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Local Restaurant Owner Indicted on Fraud Charges for Allegedly Submitting False Bank Statements when Seeking Online LoansRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Ill., man, Omar Hernandez-Lopez, 36, who was indicted last week for allegedly submitting false bank statements when seeking online loans, is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court on Jan. 5, 2021. Hernandez-Lopez owns El Tapatio De Jalisco Inc., a company doing business as La Fiesta Grande, a restaurant in Springfield.
The indictment alleges Hernandez-Lopez submitted bank statements that falsely represented the respective accounts’ balances when applying for online loans on three occasions in 2018 and 2019. The false bank statements represented accounts of his sister, business, and his brother.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris represents the government in the prosecution.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of making false statements to mortgage lending businesses (seven counts) is up to 30 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Rantoul Man Sentenced to 7 1/2 Years in Prison for Trafficking, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm today sentenced William Armstrong, 25, of the 1100 block of Falcon Dr., Rantoul, Ill., to serve 90 months in federal prison for transportation and possession of child pornography. Judge Mihm noted the violent nature of the images of infants and toddlers in violent and sadistic depictions.
On Aug. 21, 2020, Armstrong entered a plea of guilty to the indictment that charged him with one count of transportation and one count of possession of child pornography. Armstrong has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on June 12, 2020.
Following Armstrong’s release from prison at the end of his prison term, he will remain on federal supervised release for 10 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office; and the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Nine Men Indicted on Child Sex Crimes Charges Resulting from Rock Island FBI InvestigationRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John Milhiser and FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox announced that nine men previously arrested in Rock Island, Ill., have been indicted on charges of attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity. In addition, several of the defendants have also been charged with related crimes including travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and soliciting images of child pornography. The men were previously charged by criminal complaint.
According to affidavits filed in support of the complaints, each of the men allegedly used mobile dating and social media applications to contact and engage with individuals whom they believed to be minors as young as 11, with the intent of meeting to engage in sexual activity.
The charges are the result of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Rock Island Police Department; Illinois State Police; East Moline Police Department; Davenport Police Department; Galesburg Police Department; Knox County Sheriff’s Office; and, the Macomb Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer L. Mathew and Alyssa A. Raya are representing the federal government in the case prosecutions.
The defendants and their respective charges follow:
- Charles Walter Christopher, 42, of West Liberty, Iowa, a convicted sex offender currently serving a term of supervised release related to a similar case in the Southern District of Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity;
- Michael Robert McKinney, 23, of Silvis, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor;
- Joseph Allen Wilcher, 39, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity;
- Nicholas Bryan Swank, 31, of Muscatine, Iowa, a convicted sex offender; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, and soliciting child pornography;
- Jeffrey Alan Bosaw, 52, of Bloomington, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor;
- Douglas L. Christensen, 55, of East Moline, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor, soliciting child pornography;
- Auston M. McLain, 35, of Davenport, Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and soliciting child pornography;
- Damien Pernell Shepherd, 35, of Moline, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor; and,
- Douglas Michael Speer, 30, of Johnston, Iowa; attempted enticement of a child (two counts), and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.
If convicted, for the offense of attempted enticement of a minor, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison; for travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, the penalty is up to 30 years in prison; for soliciting images of child pornography, the penalty is five to 20 years in prison.
Defendants Christopher, McKinney, Swank, Christensen, Shepherd, and Speer have been ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Wilcher and McLain were released on bond with conditions. Bosaw remains detained pending a detention hearing scheduled on Dec. 8, 2020.
Members of the public are reminded that indictments are merely accusations; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Boy Scout Troop Leader Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm today sentenced former Boy Scout troop leader Milton Forsberg, 80, to serve 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography. In addition, Forsberg, of the 800 block of West Charles Street, Champaign, Ill., was ordered to pay special assessments in the amount of $10,200 for court costs as well as his contributions to a fund supporting victims of child exploitation. Forsberg has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in October 2019.
On Aug. 14, 2020, Forsberg pleaded guilty to using a computer to receive sexually explicit images of minors and to possess child pornography. According to court records, Forsberg was a Boy Scout troop leader for 40 years. At sentencing, Forsberg did not object that the court consider allegations by three victims that Forsberg sexually molested them while they were Boy Scouts in his care.
At today’s hearing, Judge Mihm expressed his concern that Forsberg had used the Boy Scouts to access and groom young men to cause permanent harm and that he finds it hard to believe that there were only several victims. Judge Mihm further noted that because of Forsberg’s advanced age, the sentence is sufficient but not greater than necessary.
One of the victims addressed the court today and encouraged the community to “lift the taboo or veil of secrecy and shame” that prevents victims from coming forward sooner. The victim explained that he felt scared to disclose the abuse “for decades,” and encouraged schools to offer more comprehensive education programs for children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Champaign Police Department and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Rochester Man Sentenced to Probation with Required Mental Health Treatment after Threatening Voicemail Message to U.S. CongressmanRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough today sentenced a Rochester, Ill., man, Randall E. Tarr, to serve two years of probation with a requirement that Tarr complete mental health counseling and treatment after he pleaded guilty to leaving a voicemail message in which he threatened to shoot U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis. In addition, Tarr, 65, was ordered to pay a fine of $2,000.
The government, in consultation with the victim, and in joint agreement with defendant’s counsel, recommended to the court that Tarr serve two years of probation with the additional condition that he be required to participate in mental health counseling and treatment as directed by the U.S. Probation Office. Tarr was also ordered to have no contact with the Congressman, his office, and members of his family.
In July 2020, Tarr pleaded guilty to calling the Decatur, Ill., office of Congressman Davis in the early morning hours of Nov. 25, 2019. Tarr then left a profanity-filled voicemail message in which he threatened to shoot the congressman.
According to court documents, the voicemail message was forwarded to U.S. Capitol Police, in Washington, D.C. Through caller ID, police identified Tarr as the alleged caller and U.S. Capitol Police contacted the Rochester Police Department to ask officers to contact Tarr. Rochester police officers made initial contact with Tarr on Nov. 25, at his residence, and FBI special agents subsequently interviewed Tarr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government at today’s hearing. The U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, and the Rochester Police Department conducted the investigation.
Man Convicted of Defrauding the University of Illinois Sentenced to 42 MonthsRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Eric Marcel Mboule, 35, of Tucker, Georgia to serve 42 months in federal prison for his role in defrauding the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana out of more than $265,000. Mboule previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following his sentence, Mboule was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
In 2016, Mboule along with Patrick Guentangue and others executed a fraudulent scheme to deceive University of Illinois officials into believing that a building contractor working at the U of I had changed banking information in advance of the contractor receiving the next scheduled payment. Based on that deception, the University of Illinois wired a contractual payment into an account owned by Guentangue, under an alias, and not into the contractor’s account. Mboule then sent messages to Guentangue directing him exactly how he should then disburse the fraudulently obtained funds to others involved in the fraud. For his role, in December of 2018, Guentangue was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
As part of his sentence, Judge Bruce ordered Mboule to pay restitution to the University of Illinois in the amount of $265,193.75.
The charges are the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen in the prosecution.
U.S. Attorney Promotes Fall National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The DEA is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, at locations across the country. Since the initiative began in 2010, the DEA has sponsored spring and fall campaigns to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means to dispose of prescription drugs and to educate the public about the potential for abuse of medications. In Central Illinois, last year, the DEA collected approximately 17,400 pounds of pharmaceuticals during Take Back Day.
“I urge everyone to take advantage of this service provided by DEA, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, to safely dispose of unused and expired pharmaceutical medications,” said U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. “The collection slogan, ‘Don’t Be The Dealer,’ highlights the dangers these medications pose when they end up in the wrong hands.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
To find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com, and enter your zip code. Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
Urbana Woman Sentenced to Prison for Counterfeit Check SchemeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced an Urbana, Ill., woman, Stephanie Lemons, 43, of the 1200 block of South Vine Street, to serve 18 months in prison for engaging in a counterfeit check scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of more than $100,000. Lemons was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on March 2, 2021, to begin serving her sentence. Following her sentence, Lemons was ordered to serve two years of supervised release.
On Feb. 6, 2020, Lemons entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud as charged in the indictment. Lemons’ co-defendant, Tommie Slayton, of Champaign, Ill. is scheduled for a change of plea hearing and sentencing on Dec. 1, 2020, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Slayton is charged, along with Lemons, with seven counts of bank fraud.
Lemons and Slayton were charged with conspiring together and with others to engage in a scheme to pass more than 120 counterfeit checks from July through December 2018. As a result of the scheme, counterfeit checks were presented at Walmart Stores in Champaign and Bloomington, Ill., and forged checks at Heartland Bank of Champaign, Ill. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that Lemons purchased specialized equipment, including a printer, paper and ink, designed to print payroll checks, as an investment in the “infrastructure of her enterprise” to defraud others.
The charges are the result of investigation by the FDIC Office of Inspector General and the Champaign and Urbana Police Departments, in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson in the prosecution.
Election Officers Designated in Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser announced today the appointment of District Election Officers in the Central District of Illinois in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. Assistant U.S. Attorneys appointed to serve as election officers in each of the district’s four divisions include: Gregory M. Gilmore in the Springfield headquarters office; David H. Hoff in the Urbana branch office; Darilynn J. Knauss in Peoria; and, John K. Mehochko in Rock Island. District election officers are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
Designated election officers will be available in each of the district’s four offices on Nov. 3, to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses, and to ensure such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities. Election officers may be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers:
Springfield: Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore, 217-492-4450;
Urbana: Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Hoff, 217-373-5875;
Peoria: Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss, 309-671-7050; and,
Rock Island: Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko, 309-793-5884.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI office in the Central District of Illinois can be reached by the public at 217-522-9675.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, individuals should call 911 immediately and prior to contacting federal authorities as state and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places.
Four Chicago Women Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Child Care Subsidy Program of More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury has returned indictments that charge four Chicago women with allegedly defrauding a government child care subsidy program intended to provide affordable child care to eligible parents. Each woman owned and operated a licensed day care in Chicago that allegedly submitted false claims for payment for child care services that were not provided or were not provided to the extent charged. As a result of the alleged schemes, the estimated loss to the government is more than $1 million.
The Illinois Department of Human Services administers the Child Care Assistance Program with state funds and block grants provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program provides child care services to low-income parents transitioning from educational programs or welfare to work and economic independence. Parents are required to make a co-payment based on their ability to pay and the remainder is paid by the Child Care Assistance Program.
Those charged are Tarnavis A. “Bonnie” Lee, 41, owner and operator of Lee’s Toddler Town, Inc.; Demetra M. Jackson, 41, owner and operator of Jitter Bugs, Inc.; Elizabeth McFarland, 46, currently of Madison, Tenn., who owned and operated Tater Tots, Inc.; and, LaShanda Hudson, 39, who owned and operated a day care business in her name.
Lee is charged in two indictments, one with Jackson and one with McFarland, for operating similar fraud schemes. Lee, who owned Lee’s Toddler Town day care, participated in the subsidy program as a licensed child care provider and submitted claims for services. The indictment against Lee and Jackson alleges that from March 2016 to April 2019, the two women received child care subsidy money by submitting false information regarding applicants’ eligibility and the type of child care and services actually provided. Lee allegedly submitted application forms, on behalf of parents, that contained false information about their employment and income, the time a child would spend at Jackson’s Jitter Bugs day care, the number and names of children, and the location where the services were provided. Payments to Jitter Bugs were deposited to an account that the two women controlled. When payments were received, more than one-half of the funds were transferred to accounts over which only Lee had control. In addition, Lee repeatedly made kickback payments to parents who were purported clients of Jitter Bugs. The two continued to submit false claims for payment even after Jackson had moved from her residence, the licensed day care address. As a result, Lee and Jackson allegedly submitted approximately $312,000 in claims with a loss to the government of more than $140,000.
In addition, Lee is charged in a second indictment with McFarland, who owned and operated Tater Tots, Inc., in Chicago, for allegedly operating a similar fraud scheme from June 2009 to April 2019. False applications and claims for payment were allegedly submitted for child care and services through the Child Care Assistance Program, and upon payment, more than one-half of the payment received was transferred to Lee. Kickback payments were allegedly paid to parents. The indictment alleges that false claims continued to be submitted even after McFarland moved in August 2016 to Nashville, Tenn. As a result of the alleged scheme, Lee and McFarland submitted claims of approximately $1.5 million with an estimated loss to the government of more than $800,000.
The third indictment charges Hudson with operating a similar fraud scheme on behalf of her personal day care business in Chicago from January 2009 to November 2019. Hudson allegedly submitted false records and information regarding applicants’ eligibility as well as information about the type of care and services and the extent of services actually provided. Hudson also allegedly made kickback payments to parents who were purported clients. As a result of the alleged scheme, Hudson submitted claims totaling approximately $734,000 resulting in an estimated loss of more than $400,000.
Specifically, the indictment against Lee and Jackson charges each woman with 17 counts of mail and wire fraud; Lee is additionally charged with eight counts of money laundering. The indictment of Lee and McFarland charges Lee with 35 counts of mail and wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering; McFarland is charged with Lee, with 12 counts of mail and wire fraud. Hudson is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering.
Each woman will be issued a summons to appear for arraignment in federal court in Springfield. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each count of the offenses of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering is up to 20 years in prison.
The charges were investigated by the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Central Division; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, which administers the Child Care Assistance Program for the state of Illinois, assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass is representing the government in the case prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Champaign County Woman Indicted for Alleged Embezzlement of More Than $600,000 from Former Employer; Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A grand jury has indicted the former office manager of a Champaign, Ill., contractor supply company on charges that she allegedly embezzled more than $600,000 from her employer over five years and filed false income tax returns. The indictment, returned Oct. 7, charges Joan L. Chenoweth, 57, of Tolono, Ill., with embezzling money from Illini Contractor Supply from May 2013 to February 2018.
The indictment alleges that Chenoweth, who had control of the business’s financial records as well as control and access to the business’s credit cards and bank account, wrote unauthorized vendor checks to herself or to cash payable from Illini Contractor Supply’s bank account; wrote unauthorized payroll checks to herself that exceeded her salary; and, used the business’s credit cards to make payments to her personal credit cards. She allegedly used her position as office manager to avoid detection by making false entries in the business’s financial records and omitted true and correct entries. As a result of the alleged scheme, the business suffered a loss of approximately $624,152.
In addition to the fraud charges, Chenoweth is charged with four counts of filing false income tax returns for calendar years 2014-2017.
The charges are the result of investigation by the Champaign Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the case prosecution.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of wire fraud (five counts) is up to 20 years in prison; for each count of filing a false federal income tax return (four counts), the penalty is up to three years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Women in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Following jury selection, as his trial was about to begin, Franshon Stapleton, 47, entered pleas of guilty to sex trafficking young women in Central Illinois from 2016 to May 2018. Stapleton pleaded guilty to all the charges against him on Sept. 28, 2020, in Peoria, Ill., before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid. Sentencing for Stapleton has been scheduled on Jan. 29, 2021.
U.S. Attorney John Milhiser stated, “I commend the strength of the victims in this case who came forward to provide critical evidence against this defendant.” Milhiser also recognized the sustained efforts by federal and local law enforcement to locate, investigate and prosecute dangerous predators and remove them from our communities.
According to court documents, in 2017 and 2018, Stapleton, of Springfield, who was residing in a motel in Champaign Ill., exploited the vulnerabilities of young women, including their drug additions and homelessness, to force them to engage in commercial sex acts. Stapleton recruited young women from Champaign, Sangamon and Peoria counties, who often were dealing with the effects of heroin and crack cocaine addictions.
Stapleton used the website BackPage, which the Department of Justice seized in April 2018, to advertise commercial sex acts to be performed by the women he recruited. Stapleton used violence and threats of violence to force the women to engage in sex with men. To coerce women into continued sex trafficking, Stapleton supplied them with drugs and threatened to send women into withdrawal sickness by withholding drugs.
Stapleton has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest in May 2018. Stapleton faces a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison for each of the four sex trafficking counts. The penalty for each of the remaining charges to which he pleaded guilty is up to five years imprisonment for engaging in a conspiracy (one count) and for use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise (eleven counts).
The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Urbana Police Department; the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office; the Illinois State Police Forensics Laboratory; and, the Champaign Police Department with cooperation from Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly M. Peirson and Ryan Finlen represent the government in the prosecution
California Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow has sentenced Gustavo R. Sandoval, of California, to 17 ½ years in prison for trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana to Knox County and the Quad-Cities area in 2018. Sandoval, 32, of Fillmore, Calif., was sentenced on Sept. 22, 2020. He has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest on related state charges in October 2018.
In July 2019, Sandoval pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sandoval’s co-defendant, Ryan D. Mehaffy, 32, of Maquon, Ill., was also sentenced on Sept. 22, to six years in prison.
According to court documents, the government presented evidence that Sandoval organized and led Mehaffy in a drug conspiracy involving shipments of kilograms of actual methamphetamine and marijuana from California to Central Illinois. Sandoval also traveled to Central Illinois on several occasions to threaten co-conspirators, collect debts, take drug orders, and to deliver drugs.
The Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyssa A. Raya and Donald B. Allegro represented the government in the prosecution.
Indianapolis Man, Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Galesburg, Ill., PharmacyRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow has sentenced Gates L. Sisk, 20, and Davia A. Barbee, 20, both of Indianapolis, to 13 years in prison for the Sept. 10, 2018, armed robbery of Walgreens Pharmacy in Galesburg, Ill. Both Sisk and Barbee were sentenced on Sept. 23, 2020. Both have remained in law enforcement custody since they were arrested hours after the robbery on Sept. 10, 2018.
Sisk and Barbee each pleaded guilty in February 2020, to all three counts as charged in the indictment, including obstructing commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
According to court documents and testimony, Sisk and Barbee were accompanied by another individual when they entered the Walgreens at 844 Fremont St., Galesburg, Ill., at approximately 4:20 a.m., on Sept. 10, 2018. The defendants displayed and pointed apparent guns at the pharmacy employees as they bound the employees with zip ties. The defendants demanded narcotics and threatened to kill the employees if they did not cooperate. The defendants took large quantities of Adderall, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and methylphenidate, a generic form of Ritalin, to sell.
Police officers with the Galesburg Police Department arrested Sisk and Barbee shortly after the robbery as they fled on foot after crashing their getaway car. Police recovered a Bersa .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun used in the robbery from the car and more than 12,000 pills from the car as well as bottles that were thrown from the car as the defendants fled from police.
At sentencing, a DEA investigator testified that various individuals in the Indianapolis area had been carrying out armed pharmacy robberies since 2017 in various locations, including much of the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. Both Sisk and Barbee are from Indianapolis, as is the third suspect in the Galesburg robbery, identified in court as Prentice Davis. According to the agent’s testimony, Sisk has been linked to two other similar robberies in Alton, Ill., and Appleton, Wis. Barbee has been linked to a similar robbery in Kansas City, Mo. Davis is currently serving a 10-year-sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a pharmacy robbery in Missouri.
The Galesburg Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald B. Allegro and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
Four Arrests Bring to Six the Number of McDonough County Defendants Charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine in West Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The arrest of four defendants last week brings the total to six charged to date in federal court as a result of an ongoing investigation of methamphetamine trafficking in West Central Illinois. Jerel J. Guarin, 42 of Colchester, Ill., and Shawn T. Connelly, 46; Trenton L. Sealock, 25; and, Amanda S. Edwards, 40, all of Bardolph, Ill., were arrested on Sept. 18, 2020, and made their initial appearances via video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley. Trial for the four is scheduled on Nov. 2, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow in Rock Island.
Connelly, Edwards, and Sealock have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A detention hearing for Guarin is scheduled on Friday, Sept. 25.
Two additional defendants, Jeanna M. Rechkemmer, 33, of Bushnell, Ill., and Amber M. Phelps, 29, of Macomb, were previously indicted in March 2020. On Aug. 25, 2020, Phelps entered a plea of guilty to the charge and sentencing has been scheduled on Dec. 1, 2020. Rechkemmer is scheduled for an initial appearance on a superseding indictment and change of plea hearing on Sept. 25, 2020.
The indictments allege that the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine in West Central Illinois from January 2019 to February 2020.
The maximum statutory penalty for the offense is 10 years to life in prison.
The charges are the result of an ongoing investigation dubbed “Operation Icy Road,” by the Macomb / McDonough County Drug Unit. The McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, the Macomb Police Department, and the Galesburg Police Department conducted the investigations with the assistance of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, Rock Island Division, in cooperation with the McDonough County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Camaroon Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Bourbonnais BankRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A citizen of Cameroon, Lovette Namatinga, 33, entered pleas of guilty this morning to defrauding a Bourbonnais, Ill., bank. Namatinga pleaded guilty to all counts of the indictment immediately prior to jury selection as his trial was about to begin in Peoria, Ill., before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid. Sentencing for Namatinga has been scheduled on Jan. 7, 2021.
Namatinga, of Owings Mills, Md., has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested on Oct. 7, 2019, at Washington Dulles International Airport by FDIC Office of Inspector General agents.
Today, Namatinga pleaded guilty to defrauding Municipal Trust and Savings Bank, Bourbonnais, Ill. Namatinga admitted that he carried out the fraud from about February to April 2019, by falsely representing to the bank that the secretary of one of the bank’s customers requested that cashier’s checks be sent to Namatinga’s fraudulent company known as Keiko San Products Alimenticious, LLC. Namatinga is the registered agent for Keiko, and the four checks were mailed to his home address. Once the checks were deposited into Keiko bank accounts, Namatinga then transferred money from those accounts to his personal account or withdrew cash from those accounts. The loss to the bank was approximately $140,000.
In addition to the fraud committed through Municipal Trust & Savings Bank, Namatinga used his fraudulent business and multiple associated bank accounts to deposit and launder fraud proceeds from various other financial institutions throughout the United States.
For each offense of bank fraud (four counts) and wire fraud (four counts), the statutory penalty is up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the FDIC Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and Keith Cook are representing the government in the prosecution.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Heroin, Fentanyl Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Ill., man, David D. Major, 51, of the 1400 block of East Forrest Hill, has been sentenced to the maximum 20-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and with possession of heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
At Major’s sentencing hearing, on Sept. 14, 2020, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid found that Major obstructed justice when he attempted to tamper with a witness prior to sentencing. Judge Shadid also determined that Major is a career offender with prior convictions including aggravated kidnapping and unlawful delivery of heroin.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that an overdose death that occurred in Pekin, Ill, in December 2018, was connected to Major’s distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Evidence further established that Major purchased the heroin and fentanyl in Chicago and transported it to Peoria where he distributed it to customers. According to evidence presented, during February and March 2019, Major transferred nearly $10,000 to his drug supplier for the purchase of drugs.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Major pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin in February and March 2019, and two counts of distribution of heroin in February 2019, in Tazewell and Peoria county.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pekin Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
Decatur Man to Serve 22 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid yesterday ordered Daniel A. Betty, 28, of Decatur, Ill., to serve 22 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting and enticing a 14-year-old girl in September and October 2019. In imposing sentence, Judge Shadid described Betty as a predator who manipulated the minor victim.
Betty admitted that he posed as a teenaged boy in a social application known as ‘Spotafriend’ to target minors and meet for sexual activity and to send him sexually explicit images. ‘Spotafriend’ advertises itself as a “swiping app for teens ages 13-19,” that uses internet and cellular data to connect individuals.
Betty entered his formal pleas of guilty yesterday to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography as charged in the indictment returned by the grand jury in January 2020.
Betty has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Dec. 16, 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by the Champaign Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the Decatur Police Department, in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Ten Men Arrested, Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John Milhiser and FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox announced that 10 men were arrested over the weekend in Springfield, Ill., and charged in separate criminal complaints with attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity. The complaints were unsealed on August 31, throughout the day, as each made their respective initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins via video teleconference. Each was ordered detained pending hearings scheduled for later this week.
According to the affidavits filed in support of the complaints, each of the men allegedly used various social media applications to contact and engage with individuals whom they believed to be minors, under the age of 18 with the intent of meeting to engage in sexual activity.
The charges are the result of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and, the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the federal government in the case prosecutions in coordination with Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Shaw of the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The defendants charged with attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity are:
- Charles E. Brinkley, 51, of Festus, Mo., presently working in Jacksonville, Ill.;
- Rafael Mercado Berrios, aka Jose Berrios, 41, of the 1200 block of N. 4th St., Springfield;
- Zachary Jones, 33, of the 200 block of S. Parker Ave., Springfield;
- James Simons, Jr. 28, of the 200 block of N. Illinois St., Springfield;
- Matthew Faubel, 49, of the 300 block of N. Lincoln Ave., Springfield;
- Jason King, 35, of Assumption, Ill.;
- Matthew Wetzel, 35, of the 800 block of W. Edwards St., Springfield;
- Shondell Hodges, 47, of Chicago;
- Stacey Furlow, 59, of the 3700 block of Peoria Rd., Springfield; and,
- James Hammonds, 20, of the 1800 block of Gregory Ct., Springfield.
If convicted, for the offense of attempted enticement of a minor, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kankakee Liquor Store Owners Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Bourbonnais, Ill., couple, Raymond and Angie Adamee, owners of a Kankakee liquor store, were each sentenced today to 12 months in prison, followed by 12 months of home confinement for under-reporting income in filed tax returns. Both were ordered to pay restitution to the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue in the amount of $642,736.
The court ordered that Raymond Adamee, 53, serve his sentence first and was ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Dec.1, 2020. Angie Adamee, 51, was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 4, 2022.
The couple each pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2020, to under-reporting gross receipts of their business, Kankakee Plaza Liquors, 1623 E. Court St., Kankakee, Ill., for the calendar years 2012 through 2016, by approximately $1.6 million.
The couple has operated the retail liquor store, predominately as a cash business, since 1989. The under-reporting of the approximate $1,621,779 in income received by the business and its owners, resulted in their failure to pay $409,117 in federal income tax that was due and owing. The under-reporting also resulted in failure to pay $233,619 in income tax, replacement tax, and sales and use tax to the State of Illinois.
In 2017, the IRS uncovered the tax fraud when the couple used a business broker to list KPL for sale for $600,000. An IRS-Criminal Investigation Division undercover agent contacted the broker to request more information about KPL and learned that KPL’s reported income to the IRS was substantially lower than represented in the sale advertisement. When IRS-CI agents executed a search warrant at the couple’s home and business location on Nov. 29, 2017, they found tens of thousands of dollars in cash kept in a safe at the their residence.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.
Charleston, Ill., Man Charged with Child Sex Crimes, Ordered to Remain in CustodyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long today cited the extreme danger to the community posed by defendant James L. Williams, 39, of Charleston, Ill., and granted the government’s request that Williams remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Williams, of the 500 block of N. 7th St., made his initial appearance in federal court on Friday, Aug. 14, following his arrest on an indictment that charges him with sexual exploitation of children to produce sexually explicit images from January 2017 to Nov. 22, 2019. In addition, Williams is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography.
During today’s detention hearing, the government proffered additional facts about the defendant and his alleged conduct in requesting that Williams remain in custody. The government alleged that Williams extorted multiple minors in Illinois and other states to produce child pornography. To gain access to girls as young as 10, Williams allegedly impersonated a female minor on social media sites, including Facebook and Snap Chat. Williams then coerced minors to produce child pornography of themselves and distributed the images to others. The government alleged that Williams extorted girls to give him additional images by threatening to share the images with others, and that on at least four occasions, Williams distributed the images to others. Williams also allegedly engaged in sexually graphic chats with other minors and discussed meeting them for sexual activity.
A trial date of Oct. 13, 2020, has been scheduled before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for each of the two counts charged of sexual exploitation of a child is a minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years. For each of the three counts of distribution of child pornography, the penalty is five to 20 years in prison; and for possession of child pornography (one count) the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. Each of the counts carries a fine of up to $250,000, special assessments of $5,000 per count under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and $17,000 to $50,000 per count under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charleston Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Indictment Charges Former Kankakee Wastewater Utilities' Official of $2 Million FraudRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Richard G. Simms, 73, currently of Marietta, Ohio, with defrauding Kankakee’s wastewater utilities, Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency (KRMA) and the city’s Environmental Service Utility (ESU), of more than $2 million.
According to the indictment, during the time of the alleged fraud, from 2014 through 2018, Simms served as executive director of KRMA, which was responsible for treating wastewater from its member municipalities, namely, Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Aroma Park, Ill. KRMA also treated wastewater from Manteno and Chebanse, Ill., by intergovernmental agreement. During this period, Simms was also the Superintendent of ESU that serves as Kankakee’s public works and sewer system. At the same time, Simms owned and operated Simms Engineering, LTD.
From 2014 through 2018, Simms received more than $2.5 million in salary and legitimate payments: approximately $1,124,288 from KRMA and approximately $1,594,585 from ESU. In addition, and independent of his salary and payments, the indictment alleges that Simms fraudulently received approximately $2.2 million - $768,000 from KRMA and $1,257,000 from ESU - as payment to Simms Engineering for software development by Plum Flower International. Simms and his daughter registered Plum Flower International with the State of Illinois in March 2014 purportedly to develop a software application for medical companies to track medical records.
The indictment alleges that although Simms did not have board approval or contracts with his engineering firm to develop software, he submitted fraudulent and inflated invoices to KRMA and ESU for software development. Simms allegedly circumvented KRMA’s invoice payment procedure by submitting invoices directly to its accounting firm. As a result, KRMA’s superintendent and administrative assistant did not approve and were unaware of the invoices.
From May 2014 through September 2018, Simms Engineering allegedly transferred more than $2 million to Plum Flower International, which represented more than 95% of its revenue during this time frame. Plum Flower International allegedly used approximately $161,000 of the funds to pay another company to create a software application which they attempted to sell on the open market. The remaining funds were allegedly used for the personal benefit of Simms and his daughter, the owners of Plum Flower International.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the case prosecution.
The U.S. Clerk of the Court will set the date for Simms to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment.
If convicted, the offense of federal program fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.