Central District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Chicago Man Guilty of Tax Fraud Scheme; Aggravated Identity Theft, $1.5 Million Allegedly Paid in Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – On Friday, May 18, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm found Clifton “Ty” Robinson, 44, of Chicago, guilty on all counts charged for his role in a tax fraud scheme that resulted in an alleged loss to the government of approximately $1.5 million. Judge Mihm presided over the bench trial which began on May 14.
During the five days of trial, the government presented evidence to the court that established that Robinson and others were responsible for filing more than 300 false federal income tax returns for the 2011 through 2014 tax years. While some individuals knowingly provided their identifying information for use in preparing the false returns, others had no idea how their information had been obtained. Evidence also established that some individuals sold their dependents’ information to Robinson for use on other individuals’ tax returns. Robinson used other members of the conspiracy to obtain identifying information of others and to provide “safe” addresses for the returns. Refunds from the fraudulent returns were deposited to bank accounts and prepaid debit cards controlled by members of the conspiracy.
As a result of the more than 300 false returns filed, Robinson and others claimed more than $1.8 million in refunds. Of the $1.8 million claimed, approximately $1.5 million was paid out by the U.S. Treasury.
Prior to trial, four additional defendants pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to defraud the government: Velma Robertson, 43, of La Grange, Ill.; and three defendants from Peoria, Ill.: Monique Bonner, 42; Brieanna Kinney-Bonner, 30; and Tawanda Davis, 36.
Robinson is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Sentencing for Robinson, Kinney-Bonner, and Davis is scheduled on Sept. 4. Sentencing for Robertson is set for July 25.
At sentencing, the statutory penalty for conspiracy to defraud the government is up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition to the conspiracy count, Robinson faces statutory penalties for mail fraud (five counts) and wire fraud (eight counts) of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The offense of aggravated identity theft (two counts) carries a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other term of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The charges were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darilynn Knauss, Segev Phillips, and Kate Legge represented the government at trial.
Indiana Man Sentenced to 66 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation, Travel to Illinois to Engage in ExploitationRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Crawfordsville, Ind., man has been ordered to serve 66 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and travelling to Vermilion county, Ill., to engage in sexual activity with a minor. On May 14, Nehemiah Lafoe, 23, was sentenced to three consecutive sentences of 22 years for a total sentence of 66 years in federal prison. Upon release from prison, Lafoe was ordered to remain on supervised release for life. Lafoe has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Sept. 27, 2017.
On Jan. 16, 2018, Lafoe pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Lafoe admitted that in June 2017, on two occasions, he enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce an image of the conduct and to transmit the image in interstate commerce. Lafoe further admitted that on May 23, 2017, he traveled from Indiana to Illinois for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a minor. According to documents filed with the court, Lafoe communicated with the minor through a popular social networking application.
Lafoe is the fourth defendant sentenced for child exploitation and child pornography offenses since early April in federal court in Urbana. The four unrelated cases were investigated by the FBI and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the cases.
Three east central Illinois men, also charged as the result of investigations led by the FBI, have been sentenced for child pornography crimes as follows:
Gary F. Beals, 44, of Trilla, in Coles county, sentenced April 13, to 60 months (five years) in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On Oct. 24, 2017, Beals pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography, and has remained in custody since his June 28, 2017, arrest.
Michael J. Mann, 47, of Momence, in Kankakee county, sentenced April 9, to 121 months (10 years, 1 months) in prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. Following Mann’s prison term, he was ordered to remain on supervised release for 15 years. In December 2017, Mann entered a plea of guilty to the indictment, and has remained in custody since his Aug. 4, 2017, arrest.
Joshua L. Hazelbaker, 41, of Fithian, a rural Vermilion county community, sentenced April 6, to 126 months (10 years, 6 months) in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child pornography. Hazelbaker pleaded guilty to the charges on June 22, 2017, and has remained in custody since he was arrested on Nov. 16, 2016.
The cases were 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.
Superseding Indictment Adds New Charges Against Four East Central Illinois MenRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – The federal grand jury in Springfield today returned a superseding indictment that charges Michael Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., with additional charges. The four men were previously indicted in April and charged with possession of a machine gun. They were arrested and charged with the initial offense in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on March 13, 2018.
The superseding indictment includes the prior indicted charge of possession of a machine gun from October 2017 up to and including Feb. 27, 2018. In addition, the superseding indictment charges the four with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence, an offense known as the Hobbs Act. Hari, McWhorter and Morris are also charged with attempted arson. Hari is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment alleges that the four men conspired from August 2017 to March 10, 2018, to affect commerce by robbery and extortion, by means of actual or threatened force, violence, and fear. According to the indictment, around August 2017, the conspirators formed a militia group that eventually identified itself as the “White Rabbits.” The group obtained materials used to make explosives, provided weapons and uniforms to group members, and assigned ranks to its members. These and other items belonging to the militia group were kept in a building located in Clarence.
On multiple occasions, the indictment alleges the conspirators met in Clarence and agreed to perform what they referred to as “jobs” or criminal acts to promote the conspiracy and to fund the group. They traveled together from Clarence to the locations of their jobs and sometimes used rented vehicles to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The indictment cites several acts allegedly committed to further the conspiracy, including:
- Robbing or attempting to rob Walmart stores, including but not limited to stores in Watseka, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2017, and Mt. Vernon, Ill., on or about Dec. 17, 2017;
- Robbing or attempting to rob individuals suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, including but not limited to individuals in Ambia, Ind., on or about Dec. 16, 2017;
- Damaging or attempting to damage Canadian National Railway railroad tracks located near Effingham, Ill., by an explosive device on or about Jan. 7, 2018, and then attempting to extort money from the railroad by threatening additional attempts to damage the tracks if the railroad did not pay a ransom; and,
- Planting materials that could be used to make explosives devices on the property of a person in Clarence, on or about Feb. 8, 2018, in an attempt to deflect law enforcement suspicion from the conspirators to the property owner.
The indictment charges Hari, McWhorter and Morris with attempted arson related to an alleged attempt to damage by fire and explosive the Women’s Health Practice, in Champaign, Ill., on or about Nov. 7, 2017.
The indictment alleges Hari, having a previous felony conviction in Illinois, possessed four AR-style platform rifles with no serial number and four 12 gauge shotguns.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The men will make their respective appearances for arraignment on the superseding indictment in federal court in Urbana on a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The men have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Superseding Indictment Adds New Charges Against Four East Central Illinois MenRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – The federal grand jury in Springfield today returned a superseding indictment that charges Michael Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., with additional charges. The four men were previously indicted in April and charged with possession of a machine gun. They were arrested and charged with the initial offense in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on March 13, 2018.
The superseding indictment includes the prior indicted charge of possession of a machine gun from October 2017 up to and including Feb. 27, 2018. In addition, the superseding indictment charges the four with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence, an offense known as the Hobbs Act. Hari, McWhorter and Morris are also charged with attempted arson. Hari is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment alleges that the four men conspired from August 2017 to March 10, 2018, to affect commerce by robbery and extortion, by means of actual or threatened force, violence, and fear. According to the indictment, around August 2017, the conspirators formed a militia group that eventually identified itself as the “White Rabbits.” The group obtained materials used to make explosives, provided weapons and uniforms to group members, and assigned ranks to its members. These and other items belonging to the militia group were kept in a building located in Clarence.
On multiple occasions, the indictment alleges the conspirators met in Clarence and agreed to perform what they referred to as “jobs” or criminal acts to promote the conspiracy and to fund the group. They traveled together from Clarence to the locations of their jobs and sometimes used rented vehicles to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The indictment cites several acts allegedly committed to further the conspiracy, including:
- Robbing or attempting to rob Walmart stores, including but not limited to stores in Watseka, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2017, and Mt. Vernon, Ill., on or about Dec. 17, 2017;
- Robbing or attempting to rob individuals suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, including but not limited to individuals in Ambia, Ind., on or about Dec. 16, 2017;
- Damaging or attempting to damage Canadian National Railway railroad tracks located near Effingham, Ill., by an explosive device on or about Jan. 7, 2018, and then attempting to extort money from the railroad by threatening additional attempts to damage the tracks if the railroad did not pay a ransom; and,
- Planting materials that could be used to make explosives devices on the property of a person in Clarence, on or about Feb. 8, 2018, in an attempt to deflect law enforcement suspicion from the conspirators to the property owner.
The indictment charges Hari, McWhorter and Morris with attempted arson related to an alleged attempt to damage by fire and explosive the Women’s Health Practice, in Champaign, Ill., on or about Nov. 7, 2017.
The indictment alleges Hari, having a previous felony conviction in Illinois, possessed four AR-style platform rifles with no serial number and four 12 gauge shotguns.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The men will make their respective appearances for arraignment on the superseding indictment in federal court in Urbana on a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The men have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
McHenry County Farmer Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today that charges Timothy A. Cosman, 42, a McHenry county farmer, with bank fraud related to loans he obtained from Busey Bank in Champaign, Ill. A summons will be issued to Cosman to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment.
The indictment alleges that from February 2014 to April 2016, Cosman, of Harvard, Ill., executed a scheme to defraud the bank. Cosman allegedly inflated his assets to make the bank believe its loans would be more secure than they were. To inflate his assets, Cosman made false claims about his ownership in family companies; claimed the loans would be secured by farm equipment he owned, when the equipment was actually owned by someone else; falsely claimed he was the beneficiary of a promissory note; and, claimed a loan for cattle would be secured by cattle, however, no cattle were purchased. To further his scheme, Cosman allegedly forged signatures and falsified documents presented to the bank. As a result of the alleged scheme, the bank was exposed to a loss of approximately $2.96 million.
If convicted, each count of bank fraud (three counts) carries a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
The charge is the result of investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General. Busey Bank has cooperated with investigators during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Grand Jury Indicts Two Alleged Distributors of Spice, K2 in Springfield AreaRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The grand jury today charged Letha Dean and Abdul G. Alsamah on charges that they conspired to possess and distribute synthetic cannabinoids, known as Spice or K2, from retail stores The Crossing II and Mystic Enchantments in Springfield. Dean, 71, of Salisbury, Ill., was arrested and charged by complaint on April 13, and was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Alsamah, 48, currently of Merced, Calif., was arrested on April 26, and made his initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of California on April 27. Alsamah is scheduled to appear in federal court in California on May 3, for a hearing regarding detention and removal to the Central District of Illinois.
The indictment alleges that Alsamah and Dean conspired together and with others from November 2014 to at least March 2016, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute synthetic cannabinoids. The two allegedly distributed the substances from The Crossing II and Mystic Enchantments, retail stores in Springfield. Mystic Enchantments previously operated at 2828 E. Clear Lake Ave., Springfield, in the same building with The Crossing II, a liquor store. At the time of Dean’s arrest, Mystic Enchantments was operating at 1020 W. Lawrence Ave. Alsamah allegedly managed the distribution operation and established the prices for the sale of the synthetic cannabinoids, including by Dean through Mystic Enchantments.
According to publicly disseminated DEA drug fact information, K2 and Spice are two of the many trade names or brands for synthetic cannabinoids which are human-made, mind-altering chemicals developed to mimic the effects of THC, the main active ingredient of marijuana. They are often marketed under the guise of “herbal incense” or “potpourri.” The synthetic cannabinoids are typically marketed in rectangular, heat-sealed packets with brightly colored wording and street names to appeal to a youthful crowd, such as “Scooby Snax,” “Mr. Happy,” California Dream,” “Hayz,” “AK47,” “OMG,” “Down2Earth,” etc.
Alsamah and Dean are the eighth and ninth defendant respectively charged in a continuing task force investigation of the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids in Central Illinois. This task force, part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, is led by the DEA with the Illinois Attorney General Investigations; Illinois State Police; FBI; Decatur Police Department; Springfield Police Department; Illinois Department of Revenue; and IRS-Criminal Investigation. OCDETF is a Department of Justice program that supports multi-jurisdictional task forces of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct long-term and complex investigations and prosecutions of drug-related crimes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, each defendant is charged with one count of distribution of synthetic cannabinoids and one count of possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids. If convicted, each offense carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Moline Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Falsifying Records, Making False Statements Under Oath in Bankruptcy ProceedingsRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- A Moline, Ill., man, Samir A. Patel, 49, was sentenced today for bankruptcy fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid ordered Patel, of the 3600 block of 73rd Street, to serve 24 months in prison, and upon release from prison, to remain on supervised release for a three-year term.
On Oct. 17, 2017, Patel pleaded guilty to the charges as alleged in the indictment that he falsified records and lied under oath related to bankruptcy proceedings. After filing a bankruptcy petition in June 2013 to discharge his debts under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, in August and September 2013, Patel provided the Bankruptcy Trustee with altered bank statements and summaries of his bank account.
In addition, Patel admitted that he falsely testified under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding, a September 2013 meeting of creditors, that a $5,000 wire transfer deposit into his account was a loan from a friend of his wife to help the couple pay living and business expenses. In fact, the deposit was a $315,000 wire transfer from a law firm related to a business transaction and which Patel was attempting to conceal from creditors and the Bankruptcy Trustee.
The charges resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10) to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. The charges were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, in collaboration with the Central Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee. Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko prosecuted the case.
“Criminal bankruptcy fraud threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system, as well as public confidence in that system,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Central Illinois, Southern Illinois and Indiana. “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Childress and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating bankruptcy related crimes, as demonstrated by today’s sentencing.”
The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Ind., and Peoria, Ill.
Two East Moline Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Attempted Armed Robbery, Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Two East Moline, Ill., men, who were convicted in November for attempted armed robbery of a Rock Island home, were sentenced today. U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow ordered that Dalvent Jackson, 25, serve 30 years in federal prison. Deaunta Tyler, 30, was sentenced to 27 years, six months in prison. Co-defendant Ledell Tyler, 36, of Silvis, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2018.
A jury convicted each of the men on Nov. 15, 2017, of attempted robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted robbery, and being felons in possession of firearms. Evidence presented at trial established that on the evening of Jan. 7, 2017, the three men invaded a family home in Rock Island in search of drugs. During the attempted robbery, the defendants threatened to shoot various occupants of the home, including two pregnant women and several young children. Trial evidence also established that one of the men discharged a firearm during the robbery in an effort to further intimidate the victims. Approximately five hours after the attempted robbery, officers of the Rock Island Police Department arrested the men after they fled from a traffic stop and crashed their vehicle.
The Rock Island Police Department investigated the charges. Law enforcement personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois State Police also assisted in the investigation and testified at trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Allegro and Kevin Knight.
Manager of Mystic Enchantments Arrested, Charged in Ongoing Investigation of Spice, K2 Distribution in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The manager of a Springfield, Ill., establishment known as Mystic Enchantments has been arrested and charged by complaint in an ongoing investigation of distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, known as Spice or K2. Letha Dean, 71, of Salisbury, Ill., was arrested on April 13, and was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Dean appeared this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough and waived preliminary hearing. The complaint charges Dean with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Dean is the eighth defendant charged in a continuing task force investigation of the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids in Central Illinois. This task force, part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, is led by the DEA with the Illinois Attorney General Investigations; Illinois State Police; FBI; Decatur Police Department; Springfield Police Department; Illinois Department of Revenue; and IRS-Criminal Investigation. OCDETF is a Department of Justice program that supports multi-jurisdictional task forces of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct long-term and complex investigations and prosecutions of drug-related crimes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
According to publicly disseminated DEA drug fact information, K2 and Spice are two of the many trade names or brands for synthetic cannabinoids which are human-made, mind-altering chemicals developed to mimic the effects of THC, the main active ingredient of marijuana. They are often marketed under the guise of “herbal incense” or “potpourri.” The synthetic cannabinoids are typically marketed in rectangular, heat-sealed packets with brightly colored wording and street names to appeal to a youthful crowd, such as “Scooby Snax,” “Mr. Happy,” California Dream,” “Hayz,” “AK47,” “OMG,” “Down2Earth,” etc.
Dean was arrested on April 13, at Mystic Enchantments’ current location, 1020 W. Lawrence Ave. in Springfield. Mystic Enchantments previously operated at 2828 E. Clear Lake Ave., Springfield, in the same building with The Crossing II, a liquor store. According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Dean was employed by the manager of The Crossing II to manage the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids from Mystic Enchantments.
As alleged in the complaint affidavit, on April 13, an undercover law enforcement officer met with Dean at Mystic Enchantments, and purchased 520 packets of suspected synthetic cannabinoids for $5,000. As the undercover officer exited the store carrying the packets in a black plastic garbage bag, agents entered the store and arrested Dean. Immediately after her arrest, agents searched the location and recovered approximately 1,445 additional packets from the back room. As a result of the undercover purchase and search of the store, agents recovered a total of approximately 1,967 packets, containing approximately 11,800 grams or 11.8 kilograms of suspected synthetic cannabinoids.
In February 2018, four men were charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance, namely synthetic cannabinoids or K-2. Trial is currently pending for Mohanad Al-Matarneh, of Chicago; Walid Alanasawi and Jamal Nasir, both of Decatur, Ill.; and Abdulrhamn Saleh of Hamtramck, Mich.
The indictment alleges that Alanasawi, Nasir, Saleh, and others, agreed to distribute and did distribute K-2 containing controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, from retail stores in Decatur, including JB’s, United Discount, Gold Star, Handy Pantry, Cigar Outlet, Tobacco Express, and BJ’s Mini-Mart. As part of the alleged conspiracy, Alanasawi, Nasir and Saleh agreed to obtain synthetic cannabinoids from Al-Matarneh in St. Louis, where he and others allegedly operated a clandestine laboratory. As alleged in the indictment, on Nov. 13, 2015, after departing the St. Louis laboratory, Al-Matarneh possessed with intent to distribute and attempted to distribute to the three co-defendants more than 100 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids.
Trial is scheduled in June 2018, for Abdu Saleh Mohamed, of Decatur. The indictment, returned by the grand jury on Jan. 3, 2018, alleges that Mohamed agreed to distribute and did regularly distribute synthetic cannabinoids or K-2 from his retail store, BJ’s Mini-Mart, in Decatur. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant agreed with other store owners / operators to obtain synthetic cannabinoids from a source in St. Louis. On or about July 16, 2014, the indictment alleges Mohamed possessed with intent to distribute more than nine kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids at his storage facility in Decatur.
Two additional men have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing related to the ongoing investigation. Noman Hizam, of Decatur, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2018, to attempted possession with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids.
According to court documents, Hizam owns multiple stores in the Decatur area, including Handy Pantry, 3715 N. Woodford; the Cigar Outlet at 1247 E. Mound; and Tobacco Xpress 1101 N. Route 48. Sentencing for Hizam is scheduled on July 6, 2018.
Mohamed Ali Saleh, of Hamtramck, Mich., pleaded guilty in May 2017, to conspiracy to distribute synthetic cannabinoids or K-2 from January 2015 to May 2016. Saleh is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2018.
Each defendant, if convicted, faces the same statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that complaints and indictments are merely accusations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Four-Year Prison Sentence for Filing False Income Tax Returns Highlights Consequences for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The sentencing today of a Rock Island, Ill., woman for preparing false tax returns to generate refunds serves to highlight the potential serious legal consequences for running afoul of the tax laws.
This afternoon, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow sentenced Roshaun J. Terry to 48 months in prison and ordered her to pay $214,329 in restitution to the IRS. Terry waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, 2017, to preparing false income tax returns for others to generate refunds. From February 2010 to May 2015, Terry was responsible for preparation of approximately 240 false tax returns that requested more than $500,000 in fraudulent refunds. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro represented the government in the prosecution of Terry.
In advance of the April 17, 2018, tax filing deadline, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office, are reminding citizens that falsely preparing tax returns and evading taxes are crimes.
“Every year, the people of the Central District of Illinois dutifully fulfill their obligation to fund their state and local governments,” stated U.S. Attorney John Childress. “Unfortunately, a few shirk that duty or worse, attempt to profit at the expense of their fellow citizens. Such behavior is not only illegal but unjust and those who engage in tax crimes will face vigorous investigation and prosecution.”
“As we approach the closing of this tax filing season, those Americans who file accurate, honest and timely returns can be assured that the government will hold accountable those who do not,” said Gabriel Grchan, the Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office. “Today’s sentencing of Roshaun Terry emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who would attempt to defraud America’s tax system.”
Three additional tax cases with activity in December 2017 reinforce this message:
Hisham Jaber, of Peoria, Ill., owner of H & M Investments, Inc., was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $506,416 in restitution to the IRS. Jaber operated Smokers Paradise, two retail tobacco shops, in Pekin and Canton, Ill. Jaber pleaded guilty in August to underreporting or failing to report a combined total of more than $1.5 million in taxable income for H & M Investments, Inc., for tax years 2010 through 2013. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the prosecution of Jaber.
Tina Cozart, of California, formerly of Carlock, Ill., was sentenced to 42 months in prison for defrauding her former employer of more than $1 million. In addition to restitution to her former employer and an insurance company, Cozart was ordered to pay $346,299 to the IRS. Cozart pled guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the prosecution of Cozart.
West Mpetshi (ma-pet-shē), of Jacksonville, Ill., was indicted on charges that he aided and assisted in the preparation of false income tax returns in 2015 and 2016. Trial is scheduled for August 2018. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris is representing the government in the prosecution of Mpetshi. An indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
For help and assistance in choosing reputable tax professionals for preparing tax returns, or for assistance in preparation of individual tax returns, please visit the official IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/help-resources
Repeat Sex Offender Indicted on Charges of Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal grand jury has charged Taylor Vanderploeg, 20, of the 700 block of West California, Urbana, Ill., with receipt and possession of child pornography. The two-count indictment, returned today, alleges that on or about Dec. 24, 2017, Vanderploeg received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also alleges that on March 2, 2018, Vanderploeg possessed mobile devices and other digital storage material containing child pornography.
On March 28, 2018, Vanderploeg was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint. During a court appearance on March 28, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Vanderploeg was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, at the time of the alleged offenses, Vanderploeg was on probation for a September 2017 conviction for possession of child pornography in Iroquois county, Ill., and is also a registered sex offender.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for receipt of child pornography, as a repeat offender, is 40 years in prison; the maximum penalty for possession of child pornography is 20 years in prison. Both charges carry fines of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Champaign Police Department and the Champaign County Probation Office.
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.
Four East Central Illinois Men Indicted on Possession of Machine Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – The federal grand jury in Springfield today returned an indictment that charges Michael Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., a rural community in east central Illinois, with possession of a machine gun. The four men were previously arrested and charged with the offense in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on March 13, 2018.
The men will make their respective initial appearances on the indictment in federal court in Urbana on a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The indictment alleges that the four men were in possession of a machine gun from October 2017, up to and including Feb. 27, 2018.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The men have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Rock Island Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - A Rock Island man has been sentenced in federal court for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. On March 20, 2018, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow sentenced Anthony Gardner to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Gardner, 31, had already pled guilty to illegally possessing a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic handgun on Oct. 4, 2017. At the time Gardner possessed the gun, he had prior felony convictions in Illinois state court. The gun in question had previously been reported stolen.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight.
Four East Central Illinois Men Arrested, Charged by Complaint with Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – This morning, FBI agents arrested four rural east central Illinois men on a criminal complaint that charges them with possession of a machine gun. The men arrested and charged are: Michael B. Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., a rural community approximately 35 miles north of Champaign-Urbana.
FBI agents arrested Hari this morning as he was traveling to a court appearance in Ford county, Ill., for a hearing in an alleged assault case pending against Hari.
Hari and Morris made their initial appearances in federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long. McWhorter and Mack will make their respective initial appearances at a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The arrest and charges were announced by FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox, Springfield Division, and U.S. Attorney John E. Childress.
The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that the four men were in possession of assault rifles from October 2017 to March 2018. According to the affidavit, law enforcement agents have gathered evidence to indicate that Hari, McWhorter and Morris were responsible for the bombing of a mosque in Bloomington, Minn., on Aug. 5, 2017, and the attempted bombing of the Women’s Health Practice in Champaign, Ill., on Nov. 7, 2017.
This morning, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at the home of Hari’s parents, in Paxton, Ill.. According to the affidavit, Hari often stays at his parents’ home because his home has no running water or electricity. A search warrant was also executed at a store / office owned by Hari, located at 100 S. Main Road in Clarence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are continuing the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Bohm and Eugene L. Miller are representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Employee of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan Sentenced to Prison for Soliciting Approximately $320,000 in Bribes from ContractorsRead the Press Release
A former employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) based in Afghanistan was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for soliciting approximately $320,000 in bribes from Afghan contractors in return for his assistance in U.S. government contracts.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress of the Central District of Illinois; Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox of the FBI’s Springfield, Illinois Field Office; Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John F. Sopko; Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southwest Field Office and Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU) made the announcement.
Mark E. Miller, 49, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard H. Mills of the Central District of Illinois, who also ordered Miller to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and forfeit $180,000 and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Miller previously pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with seeking and receiving bribes.
As part of his guilty plea, Miller admitted that he worked for the USACE from 2005 until 2015, including in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, and maintained a residence in Springfield during that time. From February 2009 to October 2011, Miller was assigned to a military base, Camp Clark, in eastern Afghanistan. He was the site manager and a contracting officer representative for a number of construction projects in Afghanistan.
On Dec. 10, 2009, the USACE awarded a contract worth approximately $2.9 million to an Afghan construction company for the construction of a road from eastern Afghanistan to the Pakistani border. This contract later increased in value to approximately $8,142,300. Miller oversaw the work of the Afghan company on this road project, including verifying that the company performed the work called for by the contract and, if so, authorizing progress payments to the company by the USACE, he admitted.
Also as part of his guilty plea, Miller admitted that, in the course of overseeing the contract with the Afghan company, he solicited from the owners of the company approximately $280,000 in bribes in return for making things easier for the company on the road project, including making sure the contract moved along and was not terminated. He further admitted that, after the contract was no longer active, he solicited an additional $40,000 in bribes in return for the possibility of future contract work and other benefits.
This matter was investigated by the FBI, DCIS, SIGAR and Army CID-MPFU, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth Division. Trial Attorney Daniel Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris of the Central District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
Decatur Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Hobbs Act Robbery, Conspiracy, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Matthew J. Higgins-Vogt, 25, of Decatur, Ill., was sentenced today to 60 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery of a Decatur Circle K convenience store and the murder of a 19-year-old Decatur woman, in April 2015. A jury convicted Higgins-Vogt’s co-conspirator Kelton Snyder in April 2016. On Oct. 24, 2016, Snyder was sentenced to life in federal prison.
On Oct. 30, 2017, Higgins-Vogt admitted that on April 3, 2015, he and Kelton Snyder robbed the Circle K convenience store at 1685 S. Baltimore in Decatur, and took money, including the contents of the cash register, and alcohol, while Snyder brandished a 12-gauge shotgun. Related to the conspiracy to commit the armed robbery, Higgins-Vogt admitted that he shot and killed Paige Mars on April 5, 2015, because he and Snyder did not want Mars to alert law enforcement about the robbery. Mars had driven the two men to the convenience store, waited in the car while they committed the robbery, and then drove them away.
According to evidence presented by the government, after the robbery, Mars learned of past violence by Snyder, and questioned him about it. Snyder and Higgins-Vogt became concerned that Mars would tell law enforcement that they had committed the robbery. The two men determined that Higgins-Vogt would kill Mars because Snyder and Mars had a brief personal relationship and they believed that law enforcement would suspect Snyder.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Bohm prosecuted the case. The Decatur Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
Higgins-Vogt has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his initial appearance in federal court on Feb. 17, 2017. Higgins-Vogt was previously in the custody of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office since his arrest on state charges on April 8, 2015.
Pekin Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Defrauding Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. - A Pekin, Ill., man has been ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison for defrauding an elderly victim of his life savings over a two-year period. U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade today sentenced Deryl Wright, 42, of the 1400 block of Camden St., to the prison term and ordered that Wright pay restitution in the amount of $100,585 to the victim. Wright has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Oct. 2, 2017.
In an announcement on Feb. 22, 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office cited Wright’s case among more than 250 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep by the Department of Justice. The Department has made prosecuting fraud schemes that target the elderly a key priority.
On Nov. 22, 2017, Wright entered pleas of guilty to charges that he defrauded an elderly, vulnerable victim under the premise that Wright’s father had died and he was to inherit a large sum of money. From 2015 to April 2017, Wright told the victim that he needed to borrow money to receive the inheritance check and that he would pay back the victim from the inheritance money. In fact, Wright had no such inheritance check; rather, the money he obtained from the victim was used to support his lifestyle and for his personal benefit.
The Pekin Police Department investigated the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge prosecuted the case in the Peoria Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Defrauding Client in Private Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Champaign, Ill., man who worked as a financial advisor at a Kankakee, Ill., bank has been ordered to serve two years in prison for falsely representing a private investment scheme to a customer that resulted in the client losing money. On February 23, 2018, Paul Schuerger, 45, of the 2700 block of Hunters Pond Run, was ordered to serve 24 months in prison and to pay $100,000 in restitution. Schuerger was allowed to remain on bond pending notice from the federal Bureau of Prisons of the date and location to report to begin serving his sentence.
On Oct. 24, 2017, Schuerger entered pleas of guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Schuerger admitted that in early 2012, when Schuerger was working at a Kankakee bank as a financial advisor, he falsely represented to a bank customer that he had a private investment opportunity that would provide a 10 percent rate of return. The customer gave Schuerger $100,000 to invest as Schuerger proposed. Instead of investing the money, Schuerger deposited the money into a personal bank account and used it for his personal benefit, including to pay off personal debts.
The FDIC Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case.
Champaign Felon to Serve 35 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Guns Related to Trafficking Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Samuel J. Yarber, 45, of the 2000 block of Moreland Blvd., Champaign, Ill., has been ordered to serve 35 years in federal prison. On Feb. 23, 2018, Yarber was sentenced to 10 years for trafficking crack cocaine to be followed by the mandatory minimum 25 years for possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Yarber was also ordered to remain on supervised release for eight years following his release from prison. Yarber has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Dec. 14, 2016.
On Sept. 20, 2017, Yarber pled guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following a two-day trial in October 2017, the jury convicted Yarber of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, government evidence demonstrates that soon after Yarber was released from federal prison after serving a sentence for prior federal drug charges, Yarber spent several months distributing more than a kilogram of crack cocaine. On Dec. 14, 2016, Yarber was arrested and found in possession of crack cocaine, over an ounce of heroin, and other illegal drugs. In furtherance of this conduct, Yarber acquired and possessed three semi-automatic firearms, including a stolen pistol and a Tec-9 with an extended magazine. In addition, Yarber received firearms as payment for crack cocaine.
The charges were investigated by the Champaign Street Crimes Task Force, including the Champaign Police Department, Urbana Police Department. University of Illinois Police Department, and the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller.
Pekin Man to be Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill., A Pekin, Ill., man, Deryl Wright, 42, of the 1400 block of Camden St., is scheduled to be sentenced next week, on Feb. 28, 2018, after admitting that he engaged in a two-year scheme that defrauded an elderly, vulnerable victim of nearly $100,000.
Wright is among the more than 250 defendants included in today’s announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice of the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused losses of more than half a billion dollars.
“The Justice Department and its partners are taking unprecedented, coordinated action to protect elderly Americans from financial threats, both foreign and domestic,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Today’s actions send a clear message: we will hold perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable wherever they are. When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal – criminal prosecutions to punish offenders, civil injunctions to shut the schemes down, and asset forfeiture to take back ill-gotten gains. Today is only the beginning. I have directed Department prosecutors to coordinate with both domestic law enforcement partners and foreign counterparts to stop these criminals from exploiting our seniors.”
Many of these cases illustrate how an elderly American can lose his or her life savings to a duplicitous relative, guardian, or stranger who gains the victim’s trust. The devastating effects these cases have on victims and their families, both financially and psychologically, make prosecuting elder fraud a key Department priority.
Wright was indicted in September 2017, and on Nov. 22, 2017, pleaded guilty to the three counts of wire fraud charged. Wright admitted that beginning in 2015 and continuing to April 2017, he defrauded the victim under the premise that Wright’s father had died and he was to inherit a large sum of money. Wright told the victim that he needed to borrow money to receive the inheritance check and that he would pay back the victim from the inheritance money. In fact, Wright had no such inheritance check; rather, the money he obtained from the victim was used to support his lifestyle and for his personal benefit.
It was part of the scheme that Wright gave the victim a continual source of reasons why the inheritance check was delayed or he was unable to obtain it. For example, Wright said he needed money to pay taxes and for processing fees; for claimed arrests, car accidents, and hospital admissions that did not occur; or, for car repairs so he could travel to pick up the check. Wright asked the victim to wire the money using money transfers at Walmart in Pekin, Ill., to Walmart stores located out of state.
At sentencing, the maximum penalty for wire fraud is up to 20 years in prison. Wright has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Oct. 2, 2017.
The Pekin Police Department investigated the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge is prosecuting the case in the Peoria Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Jury Convicts Kane County Man for Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A jury deliberated for approximately two hours this afternoon before returning guilty verdicts on all charges against a Carpentersville, Ill., man, Keith JD Offord, 24, for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough presided over the trial which began Feb. 6. Sentencing is scheduled on June 18, 2018.
At trial, the government presented evidence to show that from December 2013 to August 2015, Offord used others’ identities to create false identification documents which were used at retail stores to obtain credit accounts and to buy merchandise and gift cards. Offord added photographs of a co-schemer to the fraudulent IDs, and took the co-schemer to various retail businesses. The defendant defrauded several Springfield area stores, including Bergner’s, approximately $2500; Game Stop $1500; and Sam’s Club $2170; as well as stores in the St. Louis, Mo., area in July and August 2015.
The Illinois State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory M. Gilmore and Matthew Z. Weir represented the government at trial.
At sentencing, for the offense of bank fraud, the statutory penalty is up to 30 years in prison and for aggravated identity theft (three counts), the penalty is a mandatory two-year prison term to be served consecutive to the sentence ordered for the related fraud offense.
Former Geneseo Bank Executive Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – This morning, Paul Lindsey, 70, former vice president and trust officer at Farmers National Bank in Geneseo, Ill., admitted to embezzling nearly $500,000 from the bank. Appearing before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow, Lindsey, of the 1000 block of Cherry Drive, Geneseo, waived indictment and entered a plea of guilty to an information that charged him with one count of bank embezzlement.
During his court appearance, and according to court documents, Lindsey admitted that from about September 2008 to July 2016, he embezzled at least $491,700.87 for his own personal use. Lindsey acknowledged that as the head of the bank’s trust department, he was able to transfer funds from customers’ accounts to his own self-directed IRA. Lindsey also conceded that at least one of the customers he targeted qualified as a “vulnerable victim,” as that term is used in the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the full cooperation of Farmers National Bank. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight.
Lindsey is currently on bond awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for June 7, 2018, before Judge Darrow.
At sentencing, Lindsey faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of up to five years. The defendant may also be ordered to make full restitution to the bank.
Pana Man Indicted on Meth Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned its indictment of a rural Pana, Ill., man, Michael Williams, on methamphetamine trafficking and gun charges. Williams, 49, was arrested on Jan. 26, 2018, and charged by criminal complaint with distribution of methamphetamine. During a court appearance on Jan. 29, U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins ordered that Williams remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The indictment alleges that Williams distributed 50 grams or more of ice methamphetamine on Jan. 24, 2018, and on Jan. 26, that Williams possessed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and that he possessed firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges Williams possessed six firearms: a .38 caliber revolver; two 12 gauge shotguns; a .40 caliber carbine; .223 rifle; and, a .17 caliber long rifle.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for the charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine is 10 years to life in prison. For possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, the penalty is a mandatory five years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence ordered for the underlying drug crime.
The charges are the result of an investigation by DEA and the Central Illinois Enforcement Group (CIEG.) Officers with the Pana Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office and ATF assisted in the execution of a search warrant at Williams’ residence on Jan. 26, 2018. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Crystal Correa.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Sherman Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Violating Clean Air Act Related to Asbestos Removal at Former Pillsbury PlantRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough today ordered a Sherman, Ill., man, Joseph J. Chernis, IV, to serve 37 months in federal prison for failure to adequately remove and dispose of asbestos material, violations of the Clean Air Act, at the former Pillsbury Mills facility in Springfield. Following his prison term, Chernis, 35, was ordered to remain on supervised release for a period of three years. Chernis was ordered to self-report to prison when directed by the Bureau of Prisons.
Chernis pled guilty on April 7, 2017, to three counts of violating the Clean Air Act. Chernis admitted that he hired an untrained individual to illegally remove dry asbestos pipe insulation from the Pillsbury Mills facility. From October 2014 to August 2015, dry asbestos-containing insulation was cut and stripped from pipes inside four buildings at the facility, including the structure known as the Dryer building.
“The defendant’s illegal and reckless acts endangered the health of those performing the asbestos removal and others,” stated U.S. Attorney John E. Childress, “and caused the U.S. EPA to assume clean-up efforts at a cost of millions of dollars.”
“Asbestos can cause cancer and other serious respiratory diseases, so it is important that it be handled legally,” said Brad Ostendorf, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Illinois. “The defendant knew the rules regarding the legal removal of asbestos containing materials, but ignored them. In this way, he threatened not only the environment but the safety of his untrained workers and the general public. This case demonstrates that EPA and its partner agencies will not abide those who try to make money by breaking the law.”
Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, the EPA has promulgated rules, regulations and requirements to control the removal, handling and disposal of asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant. Any owner or operator of a renovation or demolition activity which involves removal of specified amounts of asbestos-containing material must comply with the EPA regulations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crystal Correa and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cha, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, represented the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division.
Port Byron Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Possessing, Receiving, Distributing Child PornograhyRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Scott Brian Griffith, 54, of Port Byron, Ill., has been sentenced to 20 years (240 months) in prison for possessing, receiving and distributing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow sentenced Griffith on Jan. 31, 2018. Judge Darrow also ordered that Griffith remain on supervised release for 15 years following his release from incarceration. Griffith will be required to register as a sex offender. Griffith has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested on Mar. 31, 2016.
On Jan. 19, 2017, Griffith pled guilty to one count each of possessing, receiving and distributing child pornography. According to court documents, Griffith was first identified by law enforcement after he used multiple Twitter accounts to receive and distribute child pornography. Based on this information, the U.S. Secret Service obtained and executed a search warrant for his residence on Dec. 15, 2015. At the conclusion of that search, the Secret Service seized Griffith’s computer. A forensic examination of Griffith’s computer revealed the presence of images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges were the result of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service; Moline Police Department; and the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald B. Allegro and Kevin C. Knight prosecuted the case.
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 (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.
Owner, Gire Roofing, Inc., Guilty of Visa Fraud, Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a court filing late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found Edwin J. Gire, owner of Gire Roofing, Inc., and its corporate parent, Grayson Enterprises, Inc., of Champaign, Ill., guilty on all counts of visa fraud and harboring illegal aliens. In addition, Judge Myerscough’s verdict includes the finding that the business property, located at 309 West Hensley Road, in Champaign, was used to facilitate harboring of illegal aliens and is therefore subject to forfeiture. Sentencing has been scheduled on June 4, 2018.
During six days of trial, in November 2017, the court found that evidence presented by the government established that from 2011 to 2014, Gire, 46, through an immigration attorney, submitted four I-129 petitions to the Department of Homeland Security seeking to hire H-2B visa workers. Attached to each of the four petitions were multiple fraudulent roofing contracts to justify the number of H-2B visa workers requested. Testimony from numerous witnesses at trial established that the contracts detailed roofing jobs that customers never agreed to and contained forged signatures of the alleged customers or their representatives.
Further, the court found that undisputed evidence at trial proved that Gire knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that the three aliens listed in the indictment were not lawfully in the United States. Gire allowed the three aliens to live in a building owned by his company. Gire did this to make the aliens’ employment as roofers for Grayson Enterprises attractive despite the fact that Grayson Enterprises was paying them less than the applicable prevailing wage. By giving the aliens a place to live, the court found that Gire safeguarded the aliens from the authorities by making it more difficult for authorities to locate them.
On Oct. 20, 2017, Gire entered pleas of guilty to three misdemeanor counts of unlawful employment of aliens.
At sentencing, the statutory penalty for each count of visa fraud and harboring illegal aliens is up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The unlawful employment of aliens charges carry a penalty of up to six months in prison and a maximum fine of $3,000 for each unauthorized alien employed.
The charges were investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller and Matthew Weir are prosecuting the case.
Superseding Indictment Charges Peoria Man with Distribution of Heroin and Acryl Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Peoria, Ill. – A Peoria, Ill., man, Isaiah “Rico” Richardson, is scheduled to appear in federal court on Jan. 30, after a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment late yesterday that charges him with distribution of heroin and acryl fentanyl that resulted in the death of another person in June 2017. In addition, the indictment charges Richardson, 28, of the 2200 block of Monroe Street, with distribution of heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute in June 2017.
The superseding indictment alleges that on or about June 10, 2017, Richardson distributed a mixture of heroin and acryl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid and analogue of fentanyl, and that death resulted from its use, specifically, the death of D.W. on or about June 11. In addition, the indictment alleges that Richardson possessed a Ruger .45 caliber handgun on June 29, when he was arrested.
Richardson was previously charged by complaint and was indicted in July on the charge of distribution of heroin. The affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges that Richardson regularly sold heroin to users and that he sold heroin that resulted in at least one nonfatal drug overdose in June 2017. At the time, according to public records, Richardson had been released on bond on May 5, 2017, for a state charge of unlawful possession of heroin with intent to deliver, which remains pending in Peoria County Circuit Court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley has ordered that Richardson remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pekin Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for distributing heroin and acryl fentanyl that results in the death or serious bodily injury of another person is 20 years to life in prison. If convicted on the other drug charges, the penalty is up to 30 years in prison, and the firearm charge carries a maximum term 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.
Government Files Intent to Seek Death Penalty Against Champaign Man Charged with Kidnapping, Death of Chinese ScholarRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – The government today filed its notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Brendt A. Christensen, 28, of Champaign, Ill. Christensen is charged with the kidnapping resulting in death of visiting Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang on June 9, 2017.
The filing, a copy of which is attached, follows the decision and directive by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to seek the death penalty against Christensen.
In seeking a sentence of death, the government states that the circumstances of the offense of kidnapping resulting in death, as charged in count one of the superseding indictment returned on Oct. 3, 2017, are such that, in the event the defendant is convicted of committing the crime, a sentence of death is justified.
The superseding indictment returned against Christensen alleges that he held Yingying Zhang, identified as Y.Z. in court filings, on June 9, 2017, and that he used a cellular telephone and Saturn Astra motor vehicle, both instruments of interstate commerce, to commit and in furtherance of the commission of the offense; and, that the kidnapping resulted in the death of Zhang.
The notice to seek a sentence of death includes intent factors that allege Christensen acted with intent against the victim, Y.Z.; and that his intentional acts of violence resulted in the victim’s death. The notice sets forth statutory aggravating factors including that Y.Z.’s death occurred during the commission of a kidnapping; that the offense was committed in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner, in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse; and, that Christensen committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation.
In addition, the notice alleges non-statutory aggravating factors that were not previously asserted, including victim impact evidence related to Y.Z.’s loss and the impact of her death upon her family, friends, and co-workers; the future dangerousness of the defendant; his lack of remorse; other serious acts of violence allegedly committed by Christensen; the vulnerability of the victim, Y.Z., due to her small stature and limited ability to communicate in English; and, the defendant’s alleged attempt to obstruct the investigation by making false statements to investigators, destroying or concealing the victim’s remains, and sanitizing the crime scene.
Christensen was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 30, 2017. On July 5, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Christensen remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Illinois Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan D. Freres and Eugene L. Miller are representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Rock Island Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Possession of CocaineRead the Press Release
Rock Island, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow today sentenced Jeffrey Terrell Moore, 31, of Rock Island, Ill., to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to possess cocaine. Moore entered his guilty plea to the drug charge on Sept. 7, 2017.
According to court documents, several weeks prior to May 4, 2017, Moore discussed opportunities to purchase multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine with an individual who, unbeknownst to Moore, was a law enforcement informant. On May 4, the informant contacted Moore to tell him that the cocaine was available for purchase. Moore agreed to pay the informant for three kilograms of cocaine and to purchase three additional kilograms on credit, all at a cost of $32,000 per kilogram.
Moore met the informant in Rock Island on May 4, at the agreed location and further discussed the terms of the purchase, including the amount of drugs and cost per kilogram. Moore left the location and indicated that he would return with the money. About one-half hour later, Moore returned and gave the informant $33,750 in cash in payment for cocaine. At that time, Moore was arrested by law enforcement agents. At a nearby residence, agents recovered an additional $23,340 in cash belonging to Moore.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Rock Island Police Department and the Quad Cities Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
Geneseo Man Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Stolen Valor OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow today ordered William R. Jones, 68, of Geneseo, Ill., to serve eight months in federal prison for theft of government funds and making false statements about his military service to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Jones was also ordered to pay a fine of $40,000 and to pay restitution in the amount of $71,472 to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jones was ordered to remain on supervised release for a term of three years following his release from prison.
Jones had entered pleas of guilty on Aug. 22, 2017, to the offenses. During court hearings and according to court documents, the government established that Jones entered service in the armed forces of the United States in 1971 via the Air National Guard. Thereafter, Jones served in various Reserve or National Guard components. Jones retired from the military in 2002 as a Lieutenant Colonel. At no time did Jones ever serve in the Southeast Asia or Republic of Vietnam (RVN) theater of combat operations or in any other theater of combat operations.
In 2003, after retirement, Jones sought disability benefits, based on claims in statements to the VA that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder attendant to combat service in the RVN. Jones falsely claimed that he had been a Special Operations air crewman on an AC-130 Spectre gunship and was shot down and wounded. Jones claimed that he had been awarded a Bronze Star Medal with V for Valor and a Purple Heart for RVN service. The VA denied the claims after checking Jones’ military service records and determining that he was never in RVN.
Jones, however, continued to press for claims for disability based on combat service, submitting a false DD-214 to the VA and causing the American Legion and public officials to petition or write the VA in support of the defendant based on Jones’s false representations. As a result of his false representations, Jones received $71,472 from the VA for combat-related disability.
On Oct. 31, 2013, Jones caused the American Legion to submit to the VA on his behalf a new claim with supporting documents that included a copy of an article from the Geneseo, Ill., newspaper. The article was based on false information provided by Jones about his purported combat service, including copies of several false certificates for combat awards, a false certificate from MACV SOG (Vietnam Special Operations Group) attesting to Jones’s purported SOG service, a false certificate representing that “Staff Sergeant Jones” had received an Enlisted Aircrew badge in November 1971, and a letter dated 2008 from then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama stating that the defendant was a RVN veteran.
In addition, on July 16, 2013, Jones submitted to the office of U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin a “Privacy Act Release” form that contained false information indicating that Jones had served in combat in Vietnam in 1972; that Jones had been assigned to Special Operations in Vietnam; and, that Jones was shot down in enemy territory but rescued by U.S. Marines three weeks later. In fact, as Jones well knew, he never served in Vietnam; was never assigned to Special Operations in Vietnam, and, was never shot down and rescued by U.S. Marines. As a result of these false statements to Senator Durbin, the Senator conveyed the false statements to the VA in support of the defendant’s claim for disability benefits.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
U.S. Attorney's Statement Regarding Addition of Prosecutor to Fight Violent Crime in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John E. Childress issued the following statement upon Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement today that the Department of Justice has allocated additional resources across the country to fight violent crime, including the addition of a prosecutor position in the Central District of Illinois:
“On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I would like to thank the Attorney General for the additional resources dedicated to the protection of the citizens of Central Illinois,” stated U.S. Attorney John Childress. “With the help of our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work together to promote the safety and interests of those citizens.”
Former Office Manager to Serve 3 1/2 Years in Prison for Defrauding Bloomington Employer of More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm has sentenced a woman who defrauded her former employer, a Bloomington, Ill., landscaping business, of more than $1,000,000. Yesterday afternoon, Dec. 12, Judge Mihm ordered that Tina Cozart, 55, formerly of Carlock, Ill., serve 42 months in federal prison. In addition, Cozart, currently of Fremont, Calif., was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,145,428 to her former employer, $346,299 to the IRS, and $25,000 to an insurance company. Cozart was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Feb. 20, 2018.
On June 16, 2017, Cozart pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and filing a false income tax return. Cozart admitted that she used her position as office manager for F & W Lawn Care and Landscaping, Inc., to access and use the business’s credit cards and bank accounts to make unauthorized purchases for herself, her family, and others. According to statements presented at the sentencing hearing, in at least 13 months, Cozart charged more to the business’s credit cards than she earned for the year. Some of the money was spent on trips to Cancun, Las Vegas, Florida, and Phoenix, or to buy tickets to sporting events.
Cozart also used a dormant business bank account to deposit customer payments. Cozart then used the funds to pay the unauthorized personal purchases she had made using the business’s credit card. In addition, Cozart admitted she filed a false federal income tax return for tax year 2013 in that she did not report that she had obtained $333,378 in additional funds as a result of her fraud scheme.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss. The charges were investigated by the FBI and IRS, Criminal Investigation.
Decatur Doctor Sentenced for Illegal Distribution of HydrocodoneRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A doctor who operated a walk-in clinic in Decatur, Ill., Sukhwinder Multani, has been ordered to serve 14 months in federal prison for illegal distribution of hydrocodone, a controlled substance. In addition, Multani, 43, of the 3700 block of N. Ashley Court, was prohibited from working in the medical field during his incarceration period and the three years of supervised release to follow his release from prison. The federal Bureau of Prisons will provide Multani, who remains released on bond, the date and location to report to begin serving his prison sentence.
According to court documents, Multani operated his clinic, known as Universal Urgent Care, at 3767 E. US Route 36, also in Decatur. Multani advertised that his clinic was “open seven days a week,” and charges “$40 per visit.”
On Nov. 14, 2016, Multani admitted that on three occasions in 2014, he dispensed hydrocodone, a controlled substance, outside the course of professional medical practice and not for any legitimate medical purpose. At the time he committed the offenses, Multani was an authorized Drug Enforcement Administration registrant, engaged in private practice.
According to public records of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation, Multani’s medical licenses were ordered suspended in 2014.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Bohm represented the government in the prosecution of Multani. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation of the charges.
Kankakee Man to Serve 19 Years in Prison for Robbery of Champaign, Kankakee BusinessesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Kankakee, Ill., man, Thomas James, 33, of the 500 block of S. Indiana Ave., has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for robberies of businesses in Champaign and Kankakee in July and August 2016. James’s sentencing hearing was held on Dec. 8, in Urbana. James was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,121, and to remain on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. James has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since February 2017, when he was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On June 21, James entered pleas of guilty to the robbery of the Sprint store at 2706 N. Prospect Ave., in Champaign, on July 28, 2016, and the Circle K at 581 S. Indiana Ave., in Kankakee, on Aug. 6, 2016. Both robberies were charged under the federal statute known as the Hobbs Act, for interference with interstate commerce by threats or violence. The indictment alleges that threats of violence were used to take cell phones and electronic devices from the Sprint store and to take cigarettes and currency from the Circle K. In addition, James used a HiPoint 9mm handgun during the robbery of the Circle K. At the time he possessed the handgun, James was a felon prohibited from possession of a firearm.
James’s sentence consists of 12 years in prison for the robberies to be served concurrent with the maximum 10-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon. For brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the penalty is a mandatory minimum seven years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence ordered for the underlying crime of violence.
The charges were investigated by the FBI; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Champaign Police Department; Kankakee Police Department; Illinois State Police; KAMEG; Alton Police Department; and, the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres prosecuted the case on behalf of the Urbana Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
Jacksonville Resident Indicted for Alleged Preparation of False Federal Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury today indicted a Jacksonville, Ill., man for allegedly aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns. The indictment alleges that West Mpetshi (ma-pet-shē), 36, of the 500 block of Beecher Ave., added false deductions and credits to income tax returns he prepared in 2015 and 2016.
The U.S. Clerk of the Court will issue a summons to Mpetshi to appear in federal court in Springfield for arraignment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris, and was investigated by the IRS, Criminal Investigation.
If convicted, each of the four counts charged carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Indictment Charges Springfield Man with Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Possession with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Jeremy Outland, of Springfield, Ill., with conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in the Springfield area from November 2016 to November 2017. In addition, Outland is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
Outland, 39, of the 800 block of S. Martin Luther King Drive, was previously arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint on Dec. 1. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Outland allegedly made regular trips to Chicago to pick up heroin which he then sold in the Springfield area.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins ordered that Outland remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The DEA; Springfield Police Department, Pro-Active Crimes Unit; Illinois State Police; and, the Decatur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin is five years to 40 years in prison; for possession with intent to distribute heroin the penalty is up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Peoria County Man Sentenced for Concealing Assets in BankruptcyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. -- A Brimfield, Ill., man, Thomas L. Bledsoe, 53, has been sentenced for concealing insurance policies valued at more than $100,000 from the U.S. Trustee and creditors in his bankruptcy petition. On Nov. 22, U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade ordered that Bledsoe serve the first 10 months of a two-year period of supervised release in home confinement. Bledsoe was also ordered to pay a fine of $3,000.
On July 25, 2017, Bledsoe pled guilty to concealing assets related to his bankruptcy petition filed in March 2009, under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In April 2009, Bledsoe, a life insurance agent, answered “none” on the Schedule B form which required that he disclose any interest he owned in any insurance policies, to name the insurance company for each policy and to itemize the surrender or refund value of each policy. At a meeting of creditors, Bledsoe testified under oath that the voluntary petition and schedules were correct.
After a creditor filed an objection, during a hearing in October 2009, Bledsoe testified that he owned a life insurance policy with a cash value of $5,000. Bledsoe subsequently amended the Schedule B form to indicate that he owned a single life insurance policy with a cash value of $3,000.
In fact, Bledsoe owned four life insurance policies, with a combined cash value of more than $50,0000, from Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, and three life insurance policies, with a combined cash value of more than $57,000, from Canada Life Insurance Company. In addition, Bledsoe admitted he failed to disclose possession of three cashier’s checks totaling more than $65,000, and a 2005 Montesa motorcycle. Bledsoe also falsely stated that he had not received any money from the sale of his residence, when in fact, he had received money from the sale of the residence as part of his divorce, approximately two years prior to the bankruptcy proceeding.
The charges resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10) to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. The charges were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in collaboration with the Central Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris prosecuted the case.
“Concealing assets in a bankruptcy proceeding is a crime,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, United States Trustee for Central and Southern Illinois and Indiana (Region 10). “We are grateful to all of our law enforcement partners in this case, and in particular to U.S. Attorney Childress for his commitment to pursuing those who commit bankruptcy fraud and abuse the bankruptcy process for their own personal gain.” The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in Peoria, Ill., and South Bend, Ind.”
Decatur Woman to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Defrauding Home Services ProgramRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill., -- A Decatur, Ill., woman, Charissie Davis, was sentenced this afternoon to serve 18 months in federal prison for defrauding the Home Services Program, a Medicaid waiver program. The health care benefit program provides funding to pay personal assistants who aid qualifying disabled individuals in performing household tasks and personal care. With the permission of a doctor, the personal assistant may also perform certain health care procedures.
Davis, 44, of the 2500 block of E. Prairie St., pled guilty on May 5, 2017, to submitting falsified Home Services Program time sheets for payment. Davis admitted that she filled in hours worked by her son for services that he never provided from February 2011 to February 2013, and from June 2013 to March 2014. In fact, Davis’s son did not provide personal assistant services to Davis because he was incarcerated. Davis signed the time sheets herself and forged her son’s signature. When Davis received payment, she endorsed the checks by signing her son’s name.
Davis was ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 23, 2018. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,244.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Trial Scheduled for Tolono Man Indicted on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Trial has been scheduled in January for a Tolono, Ill., man, Joshua E. Lange, 39, indicted this week on charges of child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. Lange appeared for arraignment today in Urbana. Trial is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2018.
The indictment alleges that on three occasions, from September 2015 through January 2017, Lange, of the 300 block of Windstone Drive, exploited at least two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce an image of such conduct and transmit the image in interstate commerce. The indictment also alleges that on Aug, 25, 2017, Lange possessed mobile devices and other digital storage material containing child pornography.
On Nov. 3, Lange was arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Lange was under investigation for a criminal sexual abuse allegation in Champaign County Circuit Court when investigators allegedly found sexually explicit images of minors that appear to be taken in the basement of Lange’s Tolono residence.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of child sexual exploitation (three counts) is 30 years in prison; possession of child pornography (one count) carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both offenses carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
During a court appearance on Nov. 9, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Lange was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Champaign Police Department, and the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Three Quad Cities Men Convicted for Attempted Armed Robbery, Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Three Quad Cities area men are scheduled for sentencing in March after a jury convicted them this week for attempted armed robbery of a Rock Island home. The jury returned guilty verdicts against Deaunta Tyler, 30, and Dalvent Jackson, 25, both of East Moline, Ill., and Ledell Tyler, 36, of Silvis. Each was convicted on Nov. 15, of attempted robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted robbery, and being felons in possession of firearms.
Evidence at trial established that on the evening of Jan. 7, 2017, the three men invaded a family home in Rock Island in search of drugs. During the attempted robbery, the defendants threatened to shoot various occupants of the home, including two pregnant women and several young children. Trial evidence also established that one of the men discharged a firearm during the robbery in an effort to further intimidate the victims. Approximately five hours after the attempted robbery, officers of the Rock Island Police Department arrested the men after they fled from a traffic stop and crashed their vehicle.
Sentencing has been scheduled on March 13, 2018, in Rock Island, before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow. At sentencing, each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison for the attempted armed robbery and felon in possession of a firearm charges, and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted robbery to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed for the underlying offenses.
The Rock Island Police Department investigated the charges. Law enforcement personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois State Police also assisted in the investigation and testified at trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Allegro and Kevin Knight.
Arizona Man to Serve 11 Years in Prison, 30 Years Supervision for Possessing, Transporting Child Pornography Across State LinesRead the Press Release
Rock Island, Ill. – Joaquin Louis Cook, 36, of Mesa, Ariz., has been sentenced to 136 months (11 years, 4 months) in federal prison for transporting and possessing child pornography. Cook appeared yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow in Rock Island. Upon release from prison, Judge Darrow ordered that Cook remain on supervised release for a 30-year term.
On June 14, 2017, Cook entered pleas of guilty for transporting printed child pornography images across state lines in September 2016, and for possessing additional images on Nov. 24, 2016. According to court documents, Cook traveled from Arizona to Illinois, and was living in Aledo, Ill., when he was arrested and charged on Feb. 2, 2017.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith DeCarlo. The charges were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Moline Police Department, the Aledo Police Department, and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.
Decatur Man Pleads Guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, Conspiracy, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Sentencing has been scheduled on Mar. 5, 2018, for Matthew J. Higgins-Vogt, 25, of Decatur, Ill., who today pled guilty to his role in the April 2015, armed robbery of the Circle K convenience store and murder of 19-year-old Paige Mars, also of Decatur.
In court today, Higgins-Vogt admitted that on April 3, 2015, he and Kelton Snyder robbed the Circle K convenience store at 1685 S. Baltimore in Decatur, and took money, including the contents of the cash register, and alcohol, while Snyder brandished a 12-gauge shotgun. In furtherance of the conspiracy to commit the armed robbery of the convenience store, Higgins-Vogt admitted that he shot and killed Paige Mars on April 5, 2015, because he and Snyder did not want Mars to alert law enforcement about the robbery. Mars drove the two men to the convenience store, waited in the car while they committed the robbery, and then drove them away.
The case is being prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Bohm. The Decatur Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
Higgins-Vogt has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his initial appearance in federal court on Feb. 17, 2017. Higgins-Vogt was previously in the custody of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office since his arrest on state charges on April 8, 2015.
At sentencing, the penalty for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is a mandatory seven years to life to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed for the crime of violence. The statutory sentence for Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, is up to 20 years in prison. For felon in possession of a firearm, the penalty is up to 10 years in prison.
A jury convicted co-conspirator Kelton Snyder in April 2016. On Oct. 24, 2016, Snyder was sentenced to life in federal prison.
Indiana Man Indicted on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Crawfordsville, Ind., man, Nehemiah Lafoe, 23, appeared in federal court today in Urbana for arraignment on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Lafoe appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long who scheduled trial for Dec. 12, 2017.
The indictment, returned by the grand jury last week, alleges that on two occasions in June 2017, Lafoe enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce an image of the conduct and to transmit the image in interstate commerce, including by computer. The indictment also alleges that on May 23, 2017, Lafoe traveled from Indiana to Illinois for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a minor under 18 years of age. According to the affidavit filed in support of a previously filed criminal complaint, Lafoe communicated with the minor through a popular social networking application.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of sexual exploitation (two counts) and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct (one count) is 30 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Lafoe was arrested on Sept. 27, 2017, in the Southern District of Indiana after being charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Central District of Illinois. During a court appearance on Oct. 2, 2017, before Judge Long, in Urbana, Lafoe was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Indiana State Police Cybercrime Unit; and the Indiana 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.
Texas Man Indicted for "Sextorting" Minors in IllinoisRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Texas man was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Peoria, Illinois, on charges related to the production of child pornography involving four minor victims, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen of the Central District of Illinois.
Mark P. Barnwell, 35 of Whitehouse, Texas, was indicted on four counts of production of child pornography and one count of being required to register as a sex offender while committing a sex-related felony involving a minor. Barnwell was initially arrested on Oct. 3, in Whitehouse, Texas on a federal criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, from September 2016 through November 2016, Barnwell employed, used, persuaded, coerced, and enticed four different minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Further, according to the Indictment, Barnwell committed a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, the Peoria Police Department and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald Hanna and Katherine Legge of the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney William Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
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 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.justice.gov/psc.
Moline Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison, Life Term of Supervision for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow today sentenced William Tyler Burrows, 33, of the 1800 block of 2nd Street, Moline, Ill., to serve 121 months in prison for receiving child pornography, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Hansen, Central District of Illinois. Judge Darrow further ordered that Burrows remain on supervised release for life upon his release from prison.
On May 31, 2017, Burrows entered a plea of guilty for receiving three child pornography videos over the internet between July 11 and August 18, 2015.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith DeCarlo. The charges were investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Moline Police Department.
Texas Man Indicted for “Sextorting” Minors in IllinoisRead the Press Release
A Texas man was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Peoria, Illinois, on charges related to the production of child pornography involving four minor victims, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen of the Central District of Illinois.
Mark P. Barnwell, 35 of Whitehouse, Texas, was indicted on four counts of production of child pornography and one count of being required to register as a sex offender while committing a sex-related felony involving a minor. Barnwell was initially arrested on Oct. 3, in Whitehouse, Texas on a federal criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, from September 2016 through November 2016, Barnwell employed, used, persuaded, coerced, and enticed four different minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Further, according to the Indictment, Barnwell committed a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, the Peoria Police Department and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald Hanna and Katherine Legge of the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney William Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
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 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.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago New Birth Christian Center Pastor Sentenced for Summer Food Program FraudRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Appearing before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough today, Robbie Wilkerson, the founding pastor of New Birth Christian Center, a non-denominational church in Chicago, was ordered to serve 37 months in prison for defrauding a summer food program for low-income children. Wilkerson, 50, of Oak Park, Ill., was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $440,964. Wilkerson’s wife, Tasha, 45, was also sentenced today, to a term of 12 months and one day in prison. She was ordered to pay $40,001 in restitution jointly and severally with her husband. On May 30, 2017, Robbie Wilkerson pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering;
The business administrator for the 2010 summer food program, Anthony Hall, 55, a NBCC pastor, of Downers Grove, Ill., was sentenced on Sept. 22, to serve five years of federal probation, including 10 months of home confinement. Hall was also ordered to pay $40,001 in restitution, jointly and severally with Robbie Wilkerson.
Richard Shumate, 52, program operations manager for the 2010 program; and his wife Evelyn Shumate, 49, who worked as an assistant for the program, of Romeoville, Ill., were each sentenced on Sept. 15. Both were ordered to serve five months in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons followed by five months of home confinement. The couple was also ordered to pay $49,964 in restitution, jointly and severally with Robbie Wilkerson.
Tasha Wilkerson, Hall, Richard, and Evelyn Shumate each entered pleas of guilty in May 2017, to one count of theft of government funds.
The Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious meals to low-income children during the summer months when schools are not in session. In Illinois, the State Board of Education (ISBE) administers the program funding which is provided by the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The New Birth Christian Center operated the food program in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and was one of the largest recipients of Summer Program funds in Illinois. For the 2010 program year, Robbie Wilkerson, on behalf of NBCC, submitted a total operational budget to the ISBE of $446,440, including $250,000 for food and $26,400 for administrative costs. The budget represented that NBCC would administer the summer program at 34 sites in the Chicago area.
Instead, as he admitted in court, Wilkerson admitted that he submitted or caused to be submitted, approximately $714,000 in false and fraudulent claims to ISBE, more than $250,000 above the budgeted amount. The submitted claims represented that approximately 267,000 meals were served to low-income children, when in fact, fewer than 100,000 meals were actually served, and as much as $450,000 was used for personal expenses by Wilkerson and his wife.
Robbie and Tasha Wilkerson admitted that they embezzled more than $100,000 from the program, including more than $60,000 in direct payments to themselves, at the same time Tasha was paid as an employee of Youth Outreach Services, Chicago, as a prevention coordinator. In addition, more than $10,000 was given directly to relatives; $20,000 in cash and other withdrawals from NBCC’s bank account; $46,000 to purchase real estate in Chicago; and, $37,109 to purchase a residence in Memphis Tenn., for Robbie Wilkerson’s parents.
Hall admitted that he embezzled as much as approximately $50,800 in USDA funds for his and his spouse’s use, an amount that exceeded the projected total administrative costs for the summer program by more than $20,000.
Richard and Evelyn Shumate admitted embezzling between $40,0001 and $$95,000 in USDA funds for their personal use, including as much as $28,695 to purchase a 2011 Hyundai Sonata.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. The charges are the result of investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. The Illinois State Board of Education also assisted in the investigation.
Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment that Charges Champaign Man with Kidnapping Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment against Brendt A. Christensen, 28, of Champaign, Ill., that charges him with the kidnapping resulting in death of visiting Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang on June 9, 2017. In addition, the indictment charges Christensen with two counts of making false statements to FBI agents in June 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox, Springfield Division, announced the indictment return.
Christensen was previously indicted on the charge of kidnapping in that Christensen allegedly kidnapped and held Yingying Zhang, identified as Y.Z. in the indictment, on June 9, and that he used a cellular telephone and Saturn Astra motor vehicle, both instruments of interstate commerce, to commit and in furtherance of the commission of the offense; the superseding indictment adds the allegation that the kidnapping resulted in the death of Zhang. If convicted, for kidnapping resulting in death, the penalty is death or mandatory life in prison.
The decision as to whether the government seeks the death penalty rests solely with the U.S. Attorney General. The Department of Justice has established federal death penalty procedures. The procedures include a review process conducted by the department’s Capital Case Section. The decision-making process remains confidential until the U.S. Attorney General makes a decision as to whether or not to seek the death penalty.
The superseding indictment returned today alleges special findings including: that Christensen was more than 18 years of age at the time of the offense; that the defendant intentionally killed the victim; that the defendant intentionally inflicted serious bodily injury that resulted in the death of the victim; that the defendant intentionally participated in an act, contemplating that the life of a person would be taken or intending that lethal force would be used in connection with a person, and the victim died as a direct result of the act; and, that the defendant intentionally and specifically engaged in an act of violence, knowing that the act created a grave risk of death to a person, such that participation in the act constituted a reckless disregard for human life and the victim died as a direct result of the act.
As to the charge that the kidnapping resulted in the death of Yingying Zhang, the indictment alleges special findings that Zhang’s death occurred during the commission of a kidnapping; that Christensen committed the offense in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner, in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse to the victim; and, that Christensen committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to cause the death of a person.
In addition to the offense of kidnapping resulting in death, the superseding indictment charges Christensen with making false statements to the FBI on two occasions. On June 12, the indictment alleges that Christensen falsely stated to FBI agents that he stayed at his apartment and slept and played video games all day on June 9, 2017, when he knew full well that he drove around the University of Illinois campus on the afternoon of June 9, and picked up Zhang as she was waiting for a bus. The indictment alleges that on June 15, Christensen falsely told an FBI agent that he dropped off an Asian female in a residential area shortly after picking her up in his Saturn Astra on June 9, when he knew full well that he did not drop the female off shortly after picking her up, but instead, took her back to his apartment.
If convicted of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents, each offense is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The date for Christensen to appear in federal court for arraignment on the superseding indictment will be scheduled by the U.S. Clerk of the Court in Urbana.
Christensen was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 30. On July 5, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Christensen remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. On July 12, the grand jury returned the initial indictment of Christensen. The pending trial date for Christensen is Feb. 27, 2018, in Urbana.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Illinois Police Department are conducting the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan D. Freres and Eugene L. Miller are representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Manager of Mattoon Restaurant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Embezzling from Former EmployerRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – The former manager of the Stadium Grill restaurant in Mattoon, Ill., James Michael Hill, 40, was sentenced yesterday in Urbana to serve two years in federal prison for embezzling from the restaurant. Hill, of the 2700 block of Krishire Dr., Charleston, Ill., was ordered to report and surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Nov. 7, 2017. Hill was also ordered to pay $168,723 in restitution to the restaurant. As part of his sentence, following his release from prison, Hill was ordered to remain on federal supervised release for three years.
On April 28, 2017, Hill, who has a prior theft conviction in 2001 for stealing from a different employer, entered pleas of guilty to four separate counts of wire fraud. According to evidence presented during the court hearing, as general manager of the restaurant, Hill could access the restaurant’s accounting system to correct errors made by other employees in entering purchases. From 2007, until his fraud was discovered and he was fired in August 2013, Hill made false representations in the restaurant’s accounting system that certain cash sales had not occurred or occurred for a lesser amount, and then took and used the cash generated for his personal use. Further, Hill falsely represented that certain sales were incorrectly entered into the accounting system as purchases made with cash and fraudulently entered them as purchases made with gift cards. Hill then took and used the cash generated by those sales for his personal use and benefit.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mattoon Police Department investigated the case.
Rock Island Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Rock Island, Ill., man has been sentenced to serve a total of 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid ordered Tyheme Tarkett Robertson, 28, of the 3000 block of 24th Street, Rock Island, to serve 40 months in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm count, to be followed by a consecutive 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Following his release from prison, Robertson was ordered to serve a three year term of supervised release. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Robertson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
In court documents and statements, Robertson admitted that on Dec. 20, 2016, he possessed a Smith & Wesson .40 pistol and a Cobray M-11 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation. Robertson also admitted that he possessed both firearms after being previously convicted of a felony offense in the State of Iowa.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mehochko, and the charges were the result of an investigation by the Rock Island Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.