Southern District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Highland Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Ramsey Z. Fakhouri, 22, of Troy, Michigan, pled guilty today to an indictment charging him with bank robbery.
The charge relates to an incident that occurred on February 14, 2014, in Highland, Illinois, when Fakhouri, with the help of another man, robbed the Bradford National Bank in Highland, Illinois.
Documents filed with the court reveal that Fakhouri and the other man traveled from Michigan to Highland, where the other man, armed with an air gun which looked like a real firearm, robbed a bank employee of cash. The employee was about to put the cash into the bank’s ATM machine outside the bank. The total amount stolen was $25,780.
Fakhouri was arrested when he returned to the Highland Police Department, claiming that images he had seen in the media, which looked like Fakhouri, were not of him. However, upon questioning by the police, Fakhouri admitted that he and another were the perpetrators – the other being the person who robbed the employee, and Fakhouri being the driver of the getaway car. The other suspect, who is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, was later apprehended on February 17, 2014, in Chesterfield, Michigan.
Sentencing for Fakhouri is set for July 11, 2014.
The case was investigated by members of the Highland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark.
Local Man Convicted of Kidnapping and A Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsAntwon D. Jenkins was found guilty today of kidnapping or aiding and abetting kidnapping and using or carrying a firearm during or in relation to the kidnapping or aiding and abetting kidnapping, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The verdict was returned early this afternoon, following a three-day trial.
According to Court documents, Antwon D. Jenkins, was indicted in August 2012 on two counts, kidnapping or aiding and abetting kidnapping, and using or carrying a firearm during or in relation to the kidnapping or aiding and abetting kidnapping. Trial commenced on March 10, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The evidence at trial showed that on July 17, 2012, Jenkins lured a young man to his house in East St. Louis, Illinois. While there, Jenkins and others brutally attacked the young man and accused him of committing a burglary on Jenkins’ second home in Cahokia. After some time, Jenkins told the young man they were going to “take that ride.” The young man was walked outside and put into Jenkins’ truck where the young man could not get out. Jenkins drove the young man across the Poplar Street Bridge and into Franklin County, Missouri. During the drive, Jenkins pulled off Highway 44 twice and threatened the young man twice at gunpoint. The second time Jenkins pulled over, he told the young man to get out of the truck so Jenkins could shoot him in the back. Fortunately, the victim ran off into the woods and escaped. Jenkins was arrested a few days later.
“This case would not have been successful without the courage and dedication of the investigators, the witnesses, the victim, and his family. It is never easy for crime victims to face their perpetrators in court, and this case was no exception. We are especially appreciative of the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Illinois State Police, the Columbia, Illinois Police Department, and the East St. Louis, Illinois, Police Department, who comprised the Save Our Streets Task Force active in the summer of 2012, and investigated this case.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton.
Jenkins faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison when he is sentenced. Sentencing has been set for June 27, 2014. The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Monica A. Stump and Scott A. Verseman.
Swansea Man Sentenced for Stealing Funds from Railroad Retirement BoardRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsThe United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Mark A. Lewis, 31, of Swansea, was sentenced in the federal district court in East St. Louis on the charge of Theft of Unemployment Benefits from the United States Railroad Retirement Board and on the related violation of his conditions of supervised release. The district court sentenced Lewis to a total of six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Lewis to pay $1,995.37 in restitution to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board and to pay a $100 special assessment.
From January 2013 through May 2013, Lewis fraudulently obtained monies belonging to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, an agency of the United States, by concealing his employment status in order to receive unemployment benefits.
The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is committing fraud against any U.S. Railroad Retirement Board program, you may report this to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General by calling 800.772.4258 or by e-mailing a complaint or information to: [email protected].
East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsDione J. Joyce, 31, from East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced on March 7, 2014, in federal district court, in East St. Louis, Illinois, on three counts of cocaine distribution, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Joyce was sentenced to 60 month concurrent prison terms for each count, four years of supervised release, fined $300, and ordered to pay $300 special assessment. Court proceedings revealed that Joyce sold over 100 grams of cocaine base in the form of “crack” on April 26, 2013, May 1, 2013, and May 22, 2013, to a confidential informant in East St. Louis, Illinois, at the direction and arrangement of ATF agents.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
East St. Louis Man Sentenced for "Crack" Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsDeAnthony Tillman, 27, from East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced on March 7, 2014, in federal district court, in East St. Louis, Illinois, for distribution of cocaine, in the form commonly known as “crack” cocaine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Tillman was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, fined $200, and ordered to pay $100 special assessment. Tillman, who previously pled guilty, admitted that on June 27, 2013, he sold two grams of cocaine base in the form of “crack” cocaine to a confidential informant in East St. Louis, Illinois, at the direction and arrangement of ATF agents.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Ramsey Man Sentenced on Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 7, 2014, William Dale Sidener, 31, of Ramsey, Illinois, was sentenced on the one-count indictment charging that he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud in the United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois. The district court sentenced Sidener to serve three years of probation, with the three months to be in home confinement. The district court also ordered Sidener to pay $4,677.75 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Human Services and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
During his plea hearing, Sidener admitted that he had submitted false and fraudulent bills in relation to his alleged performance of personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Sidener admitted to falsely billing the program between November 2012 and February 2013, when he moved away from the person for whom he was supposed to be caring. As a result, Sidener improperly received $4,677.00 in payments for services not performed.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan.
Martial Arts Instructor Will Serve 90 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsChristopher M. Horton, 21, of Highland, Illinois was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court to 90 years in prison for six counts of Production of Child Pornography, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced. Horton was also ordered to pay $3,250 in restitution to the victims of his offenses and a $600 special assessment. If he is ever released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for the remainder of his life.
“While there is little comfort for the instant victims, it is assuring to know that such a vicious predator will never again walk free in Southern Illinois.” said United States Attorney Wigginton.
Employed as a martial arts instructor at a studio in Belleville, Illinois, Horton sexually abused three students, ages 6, 6, and 10 years, and video recorded these acts of abuse using his cell phone. Horton also attempted to engage a fourth minor, who was 7 years old, in sexually explicit conduct to produce a recording of that conduct. Approximately 57 video files containing child pornography were recovered from Horton’s cellular phone, which were created by Horton between the dates of May 1, 2012, and February 9, 2013. During an interview with law enforcement, Horton confessed to sexually abusing the minors and to having produced video recordings of the abuse.
In all, evidence showed that Horton preyed upon children whenever given the opportunity, including at the karate studio where he worked, private residences, and at his home. United States Attorney Wigginton noted, “Horton demonstrated brazen arrogance in his commission of the sexual abuse of these children, committing his acts while other adults were in the same building and often just on the other side of a closed door.” Two electronic entries, located in the “Notes” folder of Horton’s iPhone, found during the forensic examination, demonstrated the calculated and premeditated manner in which Horton targeted each of his victims. In the two entries, Horton meticulously scripted what he would say to his young victims to solicit them, groom them and to keep them silent.
In pronouncing the sentence, Chief United States District Judge David R. Herndon commented on the shocking and serious nature of the offenses committed by Horton: “Probably in my 15 years as a federal judge this is the most serious and heinous case that I have seen. . . . The dangerousness and deviousness of the defendant’s acts are off the charts.”
The case was investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro East Cyber Crimes and Analysis Task Force, the Highland, Illinois, Police Department and the Belleville, Illinois, Police Department. Horton is also charged with several counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse in the Circuit Courts of Madison and St. Clair Counties. Those charges are still pending. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.
East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Firearm RecordsRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn March 5, 2014, Mack Davis, Jr., a 22-year old East St. Louis, Illinois, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, to one count of filing false firearm records, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Davis is scheduled for sentencing on June 27, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than 3 years supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Court proceedings revealed that on February 19, 2013, Davis pled guilty to a felony residential burglary charge in St. Clair County, Illinois. That same day he went to Ron and Jo’s Firearms and Sporting Supplies, Inc., attempting to purchase two firearms. In order to purchase, Davis filled out Federal Firearms Form 4473, marking “no” to a question asking whether or not he had been convicted in court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case.
East St. Louis Man Convicted of Selling Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsThe United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that on Thursday, March 6, 2014, a federal jury found Frederick C. Addison guilty of two felonies relating to the sale of crack cocaine.
Addison, 32, of East St. Louis, was convicted following a three day jury trial in United States District Court in East St. Louis, IL. The jury found Addison guilty of distributing crack cocaine and possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it.
According to evidence presented at his trial, Addison sold crack from a house in the 800 block of North 32nd Street in East St. Louis throughout the entire day on April 3, 2012. Police officers surreptitiously filmed Addison selling crack cocaine to multiple customers. When Addison and another man were arrested, police recovered approximately 17 grams of crack cocaine from an abandoned house where Addison and his associate had hidden it. The crack had a street value of about $12,000, according to police experts who testified at trial.
Addison is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2014, in United States District Court in East St. Louis. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Addison has been confined since his arrest on April 3, 2012.
The investigation which resulted in Addison’s arrest and conviction was conducted by police officers assigned to the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI). The case resulted from the efforts of the WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force, which focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong and Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison.
Former Air Force Official Sentenced for Receiving Gratuities from Defense ContractorRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsThe United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Dennis Charles Toenjes, Sr., 66, was sentenced on the charge of receiving gratuities in connection with his former role as an official with the United States Air Force. Toenjes had previously pled guilty to the charge. Toenjes was sentenced to serve three years of probation, with the first six months to be in home confinement. The district court also ordered Toenjes to pay a fine of $500.00 and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
Evidence revealed in court records shows that on February 3, 2009, Toenjes received and accepted gratuities from Stephen Keith Sweet, an owner of an asbestos abatement company which performed work on Scott Air Force Base. Sweet would not have given such gratuities to Toenjes but for his position as a contracting official with the United States Air Force. Gratuities included Sweet paying for Toenjes’ car repairs and for his home heating and cooling repairs. All payments made by Sweet to Toenjes totaled $9,382.01. Sweet is serving an 18-month sentence of imprisonment for tax fraud and paying gratuities to a government official.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the United States Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.
Two Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that, Clarence Walker, 35, of DuQuoin, Illinois, and David E. Neagle II, 21, of Marion, Illinois, were sentenced in federal court in separate cases for child pornography offenses. Walker had earlier pled guilty on August 8, 2013. The Court sentenced Walker to 132 months in prison, a $500 fine, and 10 years of supervised release following discharge from prison. The Court sentenced Neagle to 12 months in prison, a $100 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following discharge from prison.
The evidence at sentencing established that Walker had previously been convicted in Illinois for sex offenses involving children. After his release from prison for that offense, authorities discovered that he had been downloading child pornography from his computer at his DuQuoin, Illinois, residence.
The evidence at sentencing established that Neagle had been downloading child pornography from his computer at his Marion, Illinois, residence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Secret Service Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.
East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsJason C. Bryant, a 31-year old, East St. Louis, Illinois, man was sentenced on February 28, 2014, in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, on one count of failure to register as a sex offender, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Bryant was sentenced to 21 months in prison, five years of supervised release, ordered to pay $100 special assessment and a $150 fine.
On May 2, 2011, Bryant was released from prison in the State of Indiana following his conviction there for cocaine distribution. He immediately moved to Illinois without registering as a sex offender within the three day state requirement of his move from Indiana to Illinois. The registration condition was due to his Criminal Sexual Assault conviction on March 24, 2000, in St. Clair County, Illinois.
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 United States 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 sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Cahokia Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsMautaveus T. Ayers, 18, of Cahokia, Illinois, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, on February 27, 2014, to 34 months in prison, to be followed by three years supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a $250 fine, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Court proceedings revealed that on April 17, 2013, a patrolling officer in Cahokia, Illinois, observed a vehicle driven by Ayers commit a traffic violation and fitting the description of a car involved in a shooting earlier that day. The officer activated his lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, but Ayers continued driving. A short chase followed with Ayers eventually stopping in an apartment complex parking lot. Ayers ran upon exiting the vehicle, but stopped after the officer drew his weapon. Ayers was placed under arrest. The police car’s dash camera recorded Ayers making statements on his cell phone to an unknown individual about his arrest and instructing the individual to retrieve a weapon from his home he had hidden under his sink. Ayers consented to a search of his home the following day, where a shotgun was recovered underneath his kitchen sink.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cahokia Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong prosecuted the case.
Murphysboro Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn February 28, 2014, Michael R. Jines, a/k/a “Mikey,” “Pill Mike,” 33, of Murphysboro, Illinois, was sentenced in United States District Court in Benton on a one-count indictment, charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Jines, who had previously pled guilty to the methamphetamine offense, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and fined $400. The offense occurred between January 2013 and June 2013 in Jackson County. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Jines was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Jines recruited others to purchase pseudoephedrine for use in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Washington Park Man Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsMichael Scott, Jr., 41, from Washington Park, Illinois, was sentenced on February 27, 2014, in federal district court, in East St. Louis, Illinois, on one count of cocaine distribution, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Scott was sentenced to 33 months in prison, five years of supervised release, fined $500, and ordered to pay $100 special assessment. Scott, who previously pled guilty, admitted that on July 2, 2013, he sold twenty-eight grams of cocaine base to a confidential informant in Washington Park, Illinois, at the direction and arrangement of ATF agents.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Fairfield Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsChance W. Young, 29, of Fairfield, Illinois, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment for possessing 4 stolen firearms, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Young was charged with the offense in an indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury on September 4, 2013, and pled guilty to the charge on November 15th.
Evidence introduced in support of the guilty plea and sentence showed that Young broke into a rural Wayne County residence in late July 2013 and stole a number of items including 3 shotguns and 1 rifle. Two of the guns, which Young subsequently sold, were recovered by law enforcement agents. The other two remain missing.
In addition to the 48 month term of imprisonment, Young was ordered to pay fines and special assessments totaling $350 and was placed on a 2 year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration.
Young has been held without bond since his arrest on the federal charges and was again remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
South Carolina Resident Charged with Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Case is one of many brought as a result of United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on February 27, 2014, Denzell D. Grant, 19, a resident of South Carolina, who was stationed at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas, at the time of the commission of alleged offense, was arraigned on a two-count Indictment which charges, in Count 1, Interference with Commerce by Robbery (Armed Robbery), and, in Count 2, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The Armed Robbery count is a federal “Hobbs Act Robbery.” The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and is used by United States Attorney Wigginton’s office as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois. Grant was ordered detained, that is, held without bond, pending trial, which is scheduled for April 28, 2014, in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Count 1 of the Indictment charges that Grant committed an armed robbery at Max’s One Stop Shop in Swansea, Illinois, by demanding that the clerk on duty give him the money in the cash register. Count 2 charges that, in furtherance of the armed robbery, Grant used a firearm, and that the firearm discharged.
If convicted on Count 1, Grant faces a term in prison of not more than 20 years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years. If convicted on Count 2, Grant faces a mandatory sentence of not less than 10 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than five (5) years. In addition, the sentence imposed on Count 2 must run consecutively to the sentence imposed on Count 1.
An indictment is merely the method by which federal charges are lodged. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Swansea, Illinois, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Johnson County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn February 27, 2014, Aaron M. Trover, 32, of Vienna, Illinois, was sentenced in United States District Court in Benton on a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Trover, who had previously pled guilty to the methamphetamine offense, was sentenced to 188 months in prison, 4 years of supervised release, and fined $400. The offense occurred between June 2010, and March 2012, in Johnson, Jackson, Saline, and Williamson Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Trover was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Trover manufactured methamphetamine and was also involved in obtaining anhydrous ammonia to be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The district court determined that Trover was responsible for the manufacture of approximately 840 grams of methamphetamine. Trover received an enhanced sentence based on his classification as a Career Offender.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Jackson County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn February 27, 2014, Larry J. Dowdy, Jr., 36, of Murphysboro, Illinois, was sentenced on a methamphetamine offense, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Dowdy, who had previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release and fined $200. The offense occurred between 2012 and March 2013 in Jackson County. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Dowdy was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Dowdy manufactured methamphetamine and also obtained pseudoephedrine to be used by others to manufacture methamphetamine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Carbondale Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Energy, Illinois, Woman Convicted of Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn February 25, 2014, a jury in the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois, convicted Dana L. Gulley, 42, of Energy, Illinois, of buying pseudoephedrine for others knowing the pseudoephedrine would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The evidence during trial showed that Gulley had purchased cold pills on 8 occasions between September of 2011 and February of 2012 that were used by others in Williamson County to make finished methamphetamine. Pharmacy records demonstrated that Gulley had bought the cold pills at three different pharmacies in Williamson County. The jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before returning its verdict. Gulley now faces up to 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and up to 6 years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Christopher Police Department, Sesser Police Department, West City Police Department, and Zeigler Police Department. The trial was presented on behalf of the Government by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.
Two Sentenced in Madison County Tax Sale SchemeRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Scott McLean, 51, of Belleville, Illinois, and John A. Vassen, 56, of O’Fallon, Illinois, were sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis, Ill., for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing established that McLean and Vassen participated in a price fixing scheme orchestrated by former Madison County Treasurer Fred Bathon. Bathon structured the Madison County tax sale to permit the tax buyers to charge distressed homeowners inflated interest rates from 2005-2008 in exchange for campaign contributions.
“These tax buyers repeatedly gouged financially distressed homeowners with confiscatory interest rates enabled by a corrupt treasurer. This crime was a toxic combination of public corruption fueled by private greed. The people of Southern Illinois deserve better.” said United States Attorney Wigginton. US Attorney Wigginton praised the work of the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force, including agents from the IRS and the FBI. “These dedicated men and women work long hours for little pay to keep the citizens of our District safe from those who seek only to enrich themselves at our expense.”
McLean was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to serve three (3) years supervised release, pay a $25,000 fine and a special assessment of $100. Vassen was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to serve three (3) years supervised release, pay a $25,000 fine and a special assessment of $100. Both sentences were in excess of the recommendation from the United States Sentencing Guidelines. A third tax buyer, Barrett R. Rochman, 70, of Makonda, Ill., also pled guilty to participating in noncompetitive tax sales on October 17, 2013. Rochman is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2014.
The former treasurer of Madison County, Illinois, Fred Bathon pled guilty to antitrust charges on February 5, 2013. Bathon was sentenced on December 6, 2013, to thirty (30) months in prison, two (2) years supervised release, a fine of $20,000, and a special assessment of $100.
The charges allege that at Illinois tax lien auctions, investors bid to purchase tax lien certificates issued against delinquent tax payers. Investors are supposed to compete to purchase these tax liens by bidding on the interest rate the property owner will be required to pay prior to redeeming the tax lien attached to the owner's property. The bid opens at no more than the statutory maximum of 18% and through a competitive bidding process can be driven as low as 0 percent. The bidder offering the least penalty percentage rate, i.e., the bidder who is willing to allow the owner to redeem his property for the smallest penalty, is allowed to purchase the tax lien. As such, competitive bidding benefits financially distressed homeowners by reducing the amount of money that they have to pay to save their home from foreclosure; however, that same system reduces the profit made by tax buyers. Tax buyers prefer to receive high interest rates, which corresponds to higher profits.
For the tax sales conducted in 2005-2008, Fred Bathon structured the tax sales in a way that eliminated competitive bidding and allowed the tax buyers to engage in price fixing by only bidding the statutory maximum interest rate of 18%. The tax buyers who pled guilty today were charged with making campaign donations to Bathon in exchange for receiving property tax liens at non-competitive interest rates.
By 2007 and 2008, the bid rigging and price fixing was so pervasive that distressed homeowners were charged the statutory maximum interest rate on nearly every property tax lien sold. During the tax auction occurring November 14-15, 2007, 2,549 out of 2,574 property tax liens were awarded to bidders for the statutory maximum interest rate of 18%, which represented 99.03% of the property tax liens auctioned. During the tax auction occurring November 13-14, 2008, 2,290 out of 2,364 property tax liens were awarded to bidders for the statutory maximum interest rate of 18%, which represented 96.86% of the property tax liens auctioned.
The investigation was conducted through the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force by agents from the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by US Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton and Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
Michigan Men Charged with Bank Robbery of Bradford National Bank in HighlandRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Ramsey Z. Fakhouri, 22, and Alexander P. Gerth, 18, both of Troy, Michigan, were indicted by a federal grand jury on February 20, 2014, with bank robbery.
Documents filed with the court allege that on February 14, 2014, the defendants robbed the Bradford National Bank in Highland, Illinois, of $25,780.00 in United States currency, which they obtained by force, violence, and intimidation from a bank employee as the bank employee was re-stocking the bank’s ATM machine.
Note: A defendant is presumed innocent of a charge unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The bank robbery statute carries maximum possible penalties of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and three years’ supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark. The case was investigated by the Highland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Counterfeit United States CurrencyRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on February 20, 2014, Dana L. Causey, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to possession of counterfeit United States Currency with intent to defraud as alleged in an indictment returned by a Federal Grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, Illinois on April 18, 2013. The plea in the case came one year to the day from the date he was arrested by the Fairview Heights Police and United States Secret Service. The arrest occurred on February 20, 2013.
At his sentencing Causey will face up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing has been set for June 19, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois.
During his plea hearing, Causey admitted that he intended to pass the counterfeit currency in the Fairview Heights, Illinois area.
The investigation in this case was conducted by United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley R. Killian.
Two Williamson County Residents Charged with Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 4, 2014, Michael A. Boyt, Sr., 41, of Marion, and Matthew S. Beers, 30, of Johnston City, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The offense occurred between 2012 and January 2014, in Williamson, Perry, Jackson, and Randolph Counties. Beers made his initial appearance in federal court on February 10, 2014. At his February 14, 2014, detention hearing, he was ordered held without bond pending an April 21, 2014, jury trial. Boyt made his initial appearance on February 13, 2014. He is currently being held without bond pending a February 18, 2014, detention hearing.
The methamphetamine offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team assisted in the investigation.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Randolph County Woman Sentenced on Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
On February 13, 2014, Rachel S. Holt, 40, of Sparta, Illinois, was sentenced on three methamphetamine-related offenses, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Holt, who had previously pled guilty to a three-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and two counts of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 114 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release and fined $600. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that between 2009 and March 2013, Holt was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine in Jackson, Randolph, and St. Clair Counties. On March 17, 2010, Holt obtained pseudoephedrine pills at stores in both Sparta and Belleville. On September 30, 2011, Holt and four co-conspirators purchased pseudoephedrine pills together at Carbondale and Murphysboro stores. The pseudoephedrine was obtained for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine. At sentencing, the district court determined that Holt was responsible for illegally obtaining over 261 grams of pseudoephedrine.
The investigation was conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, Sparta Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Perry County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 12, 2014, Julie A. Keller, a/k/a Julie Smith and Julie Keller-Smith, 35, of Pinckneyville, Illinois, was sentenced in United States District Court in Benton on a charge of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Keller, who had previously pled guilty to the methamphetamine offense, was sentenced to 97 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and fined $200. The offense occurred between 2010 and November 2012, in Jackson and Randolph Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Keller supplied pseudoephedrine to others for use in the manufacture of methamphetamine. At sentencing, the district court found that Keller was responsible for unlawfully possessing more than 100 grams of pseudoephedrine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Perry County Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 14, 2014, Virgil L. Easton, of Cutler, Illinois, was sentenced in United States District Court in Benton for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Easton had previously pled guilty to the methamphetamine offense, which occurred between January 2011, and January 2013, in Perry, Jackson, and Randolph Counties. Easton was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and fined $200. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Easton obtained and provided over 70 grams of pseudoephedrine for use during the manufacture of methamphetamine. Thirteen co-defendants have previously been sentenced for their role in the methamphetamine conspiracy. One co-defendant has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Percy Police Department, the Murphysboro Police Department, the Sparta Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Perry County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 12, 2014, Michael J. Lasky, 55, of DuQuoin, Illinois, was sentenced in federal court on a methamphetamine offense, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Lasky, who had previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and fined $200. The offense occurred between 2012 and June 2013, in Perry, Jackson and Randolph Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Lasky was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Lasky would travel with others to obtain pseudoephedrine pills and was also involved in the manufacturing process. At sentencing, the district court determined that Lasky was responsible for unlawfully possessing more than 123 grams of pseudoephedrine. Two co-defendants have previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Drug Task Force, the Murphysboro Police Department, the DuQuoin Police Department, the Pinckneyville Police Department, the Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Perry County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Four Southern Illinois Residents Charged with Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 4, 2014, Gregory A. Emery, 47, Murphysboro, and Brandon K. Craig, 31, Tasha L. Craig, 30, and Rachel L. Simmerman, 41, all of Carbondale, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The offense occurred between 2010 and January 2014, in Jackson, Williamson, Union, and Franklin Counties. The four co-defendants made their initial appearances in federal court on February 10, 2014. At February 14, 2014, detention hearings, Emery, Brandon Craig, and Tasha Craig were ordered held without bond pending an April 21, 2014, jury trial.
The methamphetamine offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Murphysboro Police Department, the Carbondale Police Department, the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Former Alton Resident Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting an Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Case is one of many brought as a result of United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative
A former Alton, Illinois, resident pled guilty in federal court on February 18, 2014, to a charge that she and her co-defendant, Ramone C. Cunningham, aided and abetted each other in the commission of an Armed Robbery, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The Armed Robbery count is a federal “Hobbs Act Robbery.” “The Hobbs Act is just one of the federal tools I will use to keep the citizens of Southern Illinois safe.” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “As I noted when I rolled this initiative out, the Hobbs Act is a tough law which results in a tough sentence. I urge people to think before they risk their freedom for a few dollars.” The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and is used by United States Attorney Wigginton’s office as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois.
Taylor C. Harkey, 28, faces a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty (20) years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years at her sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2014, in East St. Louis, Illinois.
According to facts revealed in court, the offense occurred on July 18, 2013, when Harkey and Cunningham were at her residence in Alton discussing ways in which to get “quick money.” At Cunningham’s suggestion, Harkey and Cunningham devised a plan to rob a cab driver. Harkey used another individual’s cellular telephone to call Comfort Cab to have a cab sent to a vacant residence in Alton. The two parked in an alley near the vacant house. Prior to committing the robbery, Cunningham provided Harkey with a small black Co2, .177 caliber BB gun that looked like a real gun.
Harkey got out of the car and approached the cab that was already at the residence. The cab driver, having noticed that the residence was vacant, notified his dispatcher who told him to wait while they tried to contact the original caller. While waiting for the dispatcher to call back, Harkey reached through the open rear driver’s side window and pointed the gun at the cab driver’s head, stating “Give me your money or I’ll blow your brains out.” Harkey also reached inside the cab and grabbed the cab driver’s company cellular telephone. The driver threw $36.00, consisting of cab fares, out of the window. As Harkey bent down to pick up the money, the cab driver drove away. He was able to contact Comfort Cab to report that he had just been robbed. Comfort Cab subsequently called the Alton Police Department. Using the original number that was used to call the cab, the officers were able to identify Harkey as a suspect. Both Harkey and Cunningham were subsequently arrested a short time later at Harkey’s residence. The BB gun given to Harkey to use during the robbery was recovered from under the mattress of one of her children’s bed. Both Cunningham and Harkey provided voluntary, videotaped statements to Alton police officers in which they both admitted their role in the robbery of the Comfort Cab driver.
The case was investigated by the Alton, Illinois, Police Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Elkville Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On February 13, 2014, Kenneth R. Tyner, 53, Elkville, Illinois, pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Evidence at the plea hearing established that, between August 2011, and April 2012, Tyner was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine in Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties. Tyner obtained and provided pseudoephedrine to others to use in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Tyner is currently being held without bond pending a May 16, 2014, sentencing date. The methamphetamine offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Carbondale Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin OffenseRead the Press Release
On February 14, 2014, Michael Burns, 45, of Carbondale, Illinois, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute heroin, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Evidence at the plea hearing established that, between August 2012, and August 23, 2013, Burns was involved with others in the distribution of heroin in Carbondale, Jackson County. On multiple occasions between November 2012 and August 2013, Burns sold heroin to confidential sources working for law enforcement. When agents executed a search warrant at Burns’ Carbondale residence, they located heroin, cannabis, drug packaging materials, and a large amount of United States currency. At his plea hearing, Burns admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of more than one kilogram of heroin and 200-300 grams of cocaine. Burns is currently being held without bond pending a May 22, 2014, sentencing hearing. The heroin offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Illinois State Police Tactical Response Team also assisted during the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Gallatin County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Related OffenseRead the Press Release
Johnny W. Hetterscheidt, 37, of Junction, Illinois, pled guilty on February 13, 2014, in United States District Court in Benton to an indictment charging him with unlawfully possessing pseudoephedrine with the intent that it be used to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on November 20, 2013, alleged that the offense occurred on October 11, 2013, in Saline County.
Hetterscheidt faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release to follow his incarceration when sentenced.
Hetterscheidt has been held without bond since his arrest on the federal charges and was again remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await sentencing which was set for May 22, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Courthouse in Benton.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Bilking Medicaid and Callous Treatment of Medicaid Patient Lands Cahokia Woman in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, and Gerald Roy, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, (Region 7 - Kansas City), announced today on February 14, 2014, that Lisa C. Luckett, 50, and Henry J. Billups III, 49, both from Cahokia, IL, were sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis on a two-count indictment charging that they engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud.
Luckett was sentenced to serve forty eight (48) months in prison, to serve three (3) years of supervised release, pay restitution of $78,336.96 to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and pay a special assessment of $200.00.
Billups was sentenced to serve six (6) months in prison, to serve three (3) years of supervised release, pay restitution of $20,965.38 to IDHS, and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
According to court records and proceedings, Luckett and Billups both admitted that they had submitted or caused to be submitted, false fraudulent bills in regard to providing personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program. The program is designed to provide a disabled individual with assistance in performing daily living activities in the home in order to allow the person to stay at home instead of entering into a nursing home.
“Payments by the State of Illinois, funded by federal dollars, are supposed to keep Medicaid recipients out of a nursing home. In this case, the consequences for the Medicaid recipient were catastrophic. A family friend, who herself was on disability, became the personal assistant for the Medicaid recipient. This friend even invited the Medicaid recipient into her own home. However, the friend (Luckett) misappropriated her daughter's name and used a neighbor's name for purposes of obtaining and receiving personal assistant payments from the State of Illinois to care for this Medicaid recipient because she did not want to lose her own benefits. Luckett ignored serious and ongoing medical issues suffered by the recipient which should have led to hospitalization. Instead, Luckett kept the recipient in the home and continued to receive personal assistant payments from the State. The recipient died in Luckett’s home as a result of malnutrition and sepsis due to neglect of medical, nutritional, and hygienic care.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton. “The death of this blameless person is shocking on every level. It should serve as the spear point in the fight to reform this program.”
On July 26, 2013, the Saint Clair County States Attorney’s Office obtained an indictment against Luckett for two felony counts of Criminal Neglect of an Elderly Person Resulting in Death.
Nationwide, one of the biggest fraud problems in the Medicaid program has been these personal assistant programs which represent the number one fraud complaint to state Medicaid fraud units. Especially vulnerable to fraud are programs, such as the one implemented in Illinois, that allows the Medicaid recipient to control the selection and payment of personal care attendants. In most cases, the personal care assistant is a relative or family friend, who often is a ghost employee. In a typical fraud scenario, the scam payments made by the State of Illinois are split between the Medicaid recipient and the ghost employee.
According to an Office of Inspector General report released in December, 2012, Medicaid costs for personal care services in 2011 totaled $12.7 billion, a thirty five percent increase since 2005. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the employment of personal assistants and home health care workers will grow by 46 percent by 2018. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General: Personal Care Services, Trends, Vulnerabilities, and Recommendations for Improvement, OIG-12-12-01 (November 2012). Home personal care is one of the fastest growing job categories in the country. However, the OIG’s report points to numerous problems in Medicaid personal care services that leave it vulnerable to improper payments, abuse, and fraud, including lack of training standards, uneven oversight of services provided, and failure to implement prepayment controls to prevent improper or fraudulent payments.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting many deserving Illinois residents who have profoundly benefited from this program. Unconscionably, the woman who was supposedly being cared for by these two defendants was not among them. They put their own greed ahead of her welfare and the result was an absolute tragedy." said U.S. Attorney Wigginton.
“Today’s sentence should put all personal care attendants in the State of Illinois on notice that my office will aggressively investigate anyone who callously neglects our Medicaid beneficiaries and then seeks to profit from that neglect by submitting fraudulent claims to the Medicaid program. These cases remain my priority and through the strong working relationship forged among my office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Illinois State Police’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, we are holding fraud perpetrators accountable,” said Gerald T. Roy, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas City Division. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Illinois State Police’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau; and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ranley R. Killian and William E. Coonan.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General or call 1-800-447-8477.
Alton Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Illegal Dispensation of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Viwathna Bhuthimethee, 68, a medical doctor who operated the Walk In Clinic, located at 654 East Broadway Street in Alton, Illinois, pled guilty today in federal court to the fifteen counts of an indictment which charged health care fraud against the Illinois Medicaid program and illegal distribution of Schedule III controlled substances (Hydrocodone) and Schedule IV controlled substances (Xanax) by prescribing outside the usual course of professional conduct and without legitimate medical purpose, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced.
Health care fraud carries penalties of a maximum of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of three years of supervised release following prison, and a $100 special assessment. Illegal distribution of a Schedule III controlled substance (Hydrocodone) carries penalties of a maximum of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $500,000, no less than two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Illegal distribution of a Schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax) carries penalties of a maximum of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Sentencing is set for April 3, 2014, at 10:00am, in the Federal courthouse in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as by the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, the Alton Illinois Police Department and the Madison County Coroner’s Office. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Zander.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General or call 1-800-447-8477.
Perry County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On February 10, 2014, Pattsy S. Pelate, 27, of Cutler, Illinois, was sentenced in United States District Court in Benton on a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Pelate, who had previously pled guilty to the methamphetamine offense, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, and fined $300. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Pelate supplied pseudoephedrine to others for use in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The offense occurred between 2010 and November 2012, in Jackson and Randolph Counties.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.
Alton Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Case is one of many brought as a result of United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative
An Alton, Illinois, resident pled guilty on February 10, 2014, to an Indictment, charging that he and his co-defendant, Taylor C. Harkey, aided and abetted each other in the commission of an Armed Robbery, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The Armed Robbery count is a federal “Hobbs Act Robbery.” The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and is used by United States Attorney Wigginton as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois.
Ramone C. Cunningham, 30, of Alton, Illinois, faces a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty (20) years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2014, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Cunningham has been held without bond since his initial appearance on December 3, 2013.
The offense occurred on July 18, 2013, when Cunningham and his co-defendant, Taylor Harkey, were at her residence discussing ways in which to get “quick money.” At Cunningham’s suggestion, Harkey and Cunningham devised a plan to rob a cab driver. The two left in Harkey’s husband’s car and went to another individual’s residence. At this house, Cunningham remained in the car while Harkey went inside and used another individual’s cellular telephone to call Comfort Cab to have a cab sent to a vacant residence in Alton. The two parked in an alley near the vacant house. Prior to committing the robbery, Cunningham provided Harkey with a small black .177 caliber BB gun that looked like a real gun.
Harkey got out of the car and approached the cab that was already at the residence. The cab driver, having noticed that the residence was vacant, notified his dispatcher who told him to wait while they tried to contact the original caller. While waiting for the dispatcher to call back, Harkey reached through the open rear driver’s side window and pointed the gun at the cab driver’s head, stating “Give me your money or I’ll blow your brains out.” Harkey also reached inside the cab and grabbed the cab driver’s company cellular telephone. The driver threw $36.00, consisting of cab fares, out of the window. As Harkey bent down to pick up the money, the cab driver drove away. He was able to contact Comfort Cab to report that he had just been robbed. Comfort Cab subsequently called the Alton Police Department. Using the original number that was used to call the cab, the officers were able to identify Harkey as a suspect. Both Harkey and Cunningham were subsequently arrested a short time later at Harkey’s residence. The BB gun given to Harkey to use during the robbery was recovered from under the mattress of one of her children. Both Cunningham and Harkey provided videotaped statements to Alton police officers in which they admitted their role in the robbery.
The case was investigated by the Alton, Illinois, Police Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Nineteen Face Federal Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Benton, Illinois, has charged nineteen individuals with methamphetamine related offenses, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Those charged are Delbert Bargo, Jr., 53, of Thompsonville, IL, Kathryn Ann Medlin, 43, of Thompsonville, IL, Caleb S. Hoffard, 36, of Marion, IL, Jamie L. Hughey, 36, of Mt. Vernon, IL, Traci L. Jackson, 36, of West Frankfort, IL, Amber D. Mulkins, 31, of Marion, IL, Jeffrey Morneweg, 49, of Johnston City, IL, Weldon A. Poole, 29, of Marion, IL, Jamie R. Sneed, 31, of West Frankfort, IL, Kevin Spurlock, 42, of DuQuoin, IL, Regina K. Spurlock, 41, of DuQuoin, IL, Amber R. Duckworth, 37, of Hurst, IL, Justin C. Phillips, 27, of Elizabethtown, IL, Scotie M. Slaten, 26, of West Frankfort, IL, Jason K. Wells, 30, of Marion, IL, Jessica M. Peters, 34, of West Frankfort, IL, and Laura L. Coker, 51, of Carterville, IL. Two of those indicted remain at large.
All those charged face up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation in these cases was conducted by the Illinois State Police, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, United States Marshals Service, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, West City Police Department, Christopher Police Department, Zeigler Police Department, Sesser Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County State’s Attorney, Franklin County State’s Attorney, Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, Southern Illinois Drug Enforcement Group, Pope County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pope County State’s Attorney.
“Federal investigations into methamphetamine actives in Franklin, Williamson, and Pope Counties have thus far resulted in the indictment of over 90 individuals, and we are not finished - the investigations are ongoing.” said United States Attorney Wigginton.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Leggans.
Life Sentences for Former Gallatin County Sheriff Will Stand Says Federal Court of AppealsRead the Press Release
In an Order released yesterday, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the federal life sentences for former Gallatin County Sheriff Raymond M. Martin, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced.
Martin, 52, was convicted in September 2010, following an eight day jury trial, of all 15 counts brought against him by a Federal Grand Jury stemming from his distribution of marijuana in office, carrying of a firearm during his drug trafficking offenses, and trying to have 2 witnesses against him in the drug case killed after he was arrested and was being held without bond in the Jackson County Jail. Martin, who remained sheriff while being held in federal custody because he refused to resign, was removed from office by the Gallatin County Board immediately following his convictions.
“Obviously, Martin failed to learn the most basic lesson of those holding office – that public service is a public trust.” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “The people of Gallatin County deserved better, and Martin, for all his corruption, deserves what he must face.”
Martin was originally sentenced in January 2011 to two consecutive life terms plus 10 years. He appealed the conviction and sentence. In August 2012, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction but vacated his sentence after it determined that an error in calculating his advisory sentencing range under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines had been committed. The appellate court remanded the case to the district court for resentencing.
At resentencing, the Court adopted and reiterated its statements and findings from the original sentencing hearing and also considered new information regarding the then-recent discovery that Martin had illegally obtained and smuggled prescription medication into the Williamson County Jail where he had been returned to await his resentencing. The Court again imposed the same two life sentences plus 10 years that it had previously given. The life sentences were imposed consecutively to each other and to the 10 year sentence.
In addition to the sentences of imprisonment, Martin was again ordered to forfeit his Junction, Illinois, residence (valued at over $200,000) and $76,090 in cash to the United States. He was also again ordered to pay the United States fines and special assessments totaling $51,500.
In their Order, the Seventh Circuit rejected any argument that the life sentences were unreasonable, noting that the district court offered an “exhaustive explanation for the . . . need to impose harsh punishment.” The Court further noted that the district court found in reimposing the life sentences that “Martin’s case was one of the ‘most severe’ it had ever seen and explained that, as a sheriff, Martin’s ‘betrayal of the public trust and the people that [he] was elected to serve . . . was unforgivable.” The Court also found significant that Martin’s “lack of remorse and refusal to accept responsibility for his crimes, as evidenced by his plotting to have witnesses murdered,” extended even to his post-sentencing efforts to smuggle illegal drugs into the Williamson County Jail. In light of all of this, the Court found that any argument that the sentences were unjustified would be “frivolous.”
Investigation into the drug aspect of the case was led by the Carmi office of the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney's Office with the assistance of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, the Mt. Vernon, Illinois Police Department, and the White County State's Attorney's Office.
Investigation into the witness tampering and financial structuring aspects of the case was led by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and the United States Attorney's Office with the assistance of the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, the IRS/CID, DEA, the Jackson County State's Attorney's Office, and the White County State's Attorney's Office.
Investigation into Martin's smuggling of prescription medication into the Williamson County Jail was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, the Illinois State Police, and the Williamson County Sheriff's Department.
The case was originally prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Cutchin and Michael C. Carr, who has since retired and is now the Jackson County States' Attorney. AUSA Cutchin handled the resentencing and Martin’s appeals.
Gallatin County Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Manufacture MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Angela Seavers, 35, of Ridgeway, Illinois, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of 37 months in prison for conspiring with others to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Seavers pled guilty on October 24, 2013, to conspiring with Dustin J. Lowe, 25, also of Ridgeway, and others, between February 2012 and March 2013 to illegally manufacture the drug.
Lowe also pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on December 13, 2013, and is currently scheduled for sentencing on April 3rd at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Courthouse in Benton.
In addition to the 37 month term, Seavers was ordered to pay fines and special assessments totaling $200 and was placed on a 3 year term of supervised release to follow her incarceration. Under federal law, parole has been abolished, meaning that Seavers will be required to serve a minimum of 85% of her sentence.
Seavers has been held in the custody of the United States Marshal since her bond was revoked in September. She was again remanded to the custody of the Marshal to await designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Former Employee of Local Oil Company Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in A Scheme to Defraud EmployerRead the Press Release
Kevin D. Dowell, 37, of St. Louis, Missouri, entered a plea of guilty in federal district court to wire fraud in a scheme to defraud and embezzle from the FKG Oil Company, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Dowell faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release after serving his sentence, and mandatory restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 30, 2014.
As part of the plea, Dowell admitted that while he was the Manager of the Human Resources Department of FKG Oil Company in Belleville, Illinois, and during the time period mid-2010 to April 2013, he falsified mileage expense reports, used a company credit card for personal expenses, and would transfer funds electronically from the company’s bank account directly to his personal bank account in Missouri. Dowell admitted that he caused a direct loss of $87,419 and an additional $26,565 in investigative expenses for a total loss of $113,984.
This crime was reported to the Belleville Police Department and a full investigation was performed by a third party firm. At completion of the full investigation, the case was turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Falsifying expense reports is a crime. To report suspicious activity to the F.B.I. call (217) 522-9675 or email [email protected]. To report public corruption, call (877) 884-7633 or (877) U-TIP-OFF. To report health care fraud, call (888) 557-9503.)
Owner of Metro East Title Company Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from Clients and StructuringRead the Press Release
Karen Strasser Steinke, 65, of Millstadt, Illinois, entered a plea of guilty in federal district court to an Information charging, in Count 1, Wire Fraud in a scheme to defraud clients of Metro East Title, and in Count 2, Structuring of Financial Transactions to Avoid Currency Transaction Reporting Requirements, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The offenses carry a total statutory maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $500,000 and mandatory restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 2, 2014.
Court proceedings revealed that Strasser Steinke was an officer, owner and operator of Metro East Title Company. Operating as a title insurance agent, she received money on behalf of others, which included escrow, settlement and closing funds. Strasser Steinke was required to hold these funds as a fiduciary in a fiduciary trust account. On or about July 16, 2013, R. L. and M. L. purchased real property in St. Clair County, Illinois, and Metro East served as the settlement agent for the transaction. As part of the transaction, the proceeds paid were to be used to satisfy a mortgage against the real property for $76,864.98 held by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. $84,109.57 of purchase funds were deposited into Metro East's escrow account, however the fiduciary funds were misused by Strasser Steinke. On or about August 7, 2013, Metro East served as a settlement and escrow agent pursuant to an escrow disbursement agreement in connection with a real property transaction between the Columbia American Legion, Columbia Post 581 District 22, American Legion Department of Illinois, which acted as the seller to the transaction, and the City of Columbia, the buyer. The City of Columbia deposited $407,960.04 into the escrow account of Metro East which was to serve as the source for the ultimate escrow and settlement disbursals however the fiduciary funds were misused by Strasser Steinke.
The successful prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service with the assistance of the Columbia, IL, police department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Murphysboro Woman Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On January 31, 2014, Toni J. Johnson, 33, of Murphysboro, pled guilty to a one-count superseding indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The offense occurred between 2009 and October 2013, in Union and Jackson Counties. The factual basis at Johnson’s plea hearing established that she was involved with others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Johnson stole anhydrous ammonia and collected pseudoephedrine pills from others to use during the manufacture of methamphetamine. After Johnson would manufacture the methamphetamine, she would provide some of the drugs to individuals that had provided her with pseudoephedrine pills. During a February 2013 search of Johnson’s Carbondale hotel room, agents located an oxygen tank containing anhydrous ammonia, along with other methamphetamine-making materials.
The methamphetamine offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $1,000,000.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, Carbondale Police Department, and Union County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Local Businessman Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Unemployment Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that James L. Quirin, 59, of Sauget, Illinois, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $500 special assessment, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $44,670.00 to the Illinois Unemployment Compensation Fund and $384,780.36 to the Internal Revenue Service. Quirin pled guilty to one count of Theft of Government Funds, three counts of Tax Evasion, and one count of Filing a False Tax Return.
“Mr. Quirin has finally been held accountable for his serial criminal activity. He is now a convicted felon, admitted liar and admitted tax cheat who will spend the next 27 months in a federal prison. Thereafter, he will be on federal supervised release for three years during which time he will be monitored closely and required to pay all of his debts to the government. Every time he stole from the unemployment program he took taxpayer monies that should have gone to legitimately unemployed persons who are trying to find jobs,” said United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton.
As revealed in court, these felony counts were based on the following conduct. Quirin applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits in February, 2009, even though he was a gainfully employed businessman receiving significant income. However, most of the payments he received were made out to the names of other business entities with which he was associated. In March 2009, in order to conceal his true income, he began converting these checks to cash at a money services business located at a tavern in St. Louis (over $900,000 through January 2013.) In order to receive the full benefit payments, the State of Illinois requires that beneficiaries report weekly that they looked for and were available to work, and that they had not worked. Quirin repeatedly and falsely informed the State of Illinois that he met these criteria, even though he had worked, had been paid, and on some occasions was unavailable to work because he was vacationing in Costa Rica.
State unemployment programs are funded by the federal government. During the period that Quirin claimed federally subsidized unemployment benefits, February 2009 through October 2010, Quirin fraudulently received government funds in the amount of $44,670.00.
On July 22, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service issued to Quirin a Notice of Federal Tax Lien Filing for the 2006 tax year in the amount of $93,844. Quirin did not pay the tax in spite of the substantial funds he was cashing through the tavern. On September 30, 2009, Quirin made a formal offer in compromise in the amount of $5,500 for his 2006 tax debt in which he claimed that his only income was unemployment compensation. Quirin also evaded payment of substantial income tax for 2008 and 2010.
On July 13, 2010, Quirin made and filed an income tax return for 2009 in which he understated the gross receipts of his business by over $100,000. The return was verified by a written declaration that it was made under penalties of perjury.
These matters were investigated by Special Agents of the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley.
California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David Michael Thompson, a 27-year old resident of Temecula, California, was sentenced today in United States District Court for transporting child pornography and for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor child. Thompson was sentenced to a total of 210 months in federal prison (sentences of 210 and 180 months ordered to run concurrently) announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
According to court documents, on October 24, 2012, a trooper with the Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted a traffic stop on a 2008 white Honda Civic owned and driven by Thompson. The passenger of the vehicle was determined to be a sixteen year old female who had been reported missing from the Cincinnati, Ohio area. According to the victim, she and Thompson met on internet social networking sites. Thompson and the victim communicated over the internet using a computer and other electronic equipment capable of accessing the internet for several years.
Between September 23, 2012, and October 22, 2012, Thompson and the victim agreed that Thompson would drive from California to Ohio to pick the victim up and the two would drive back to California where the victim would move-in with Thompson. On October 20, 2012, Thompson left his home in California. Thompson picked the victim up two days later. The two traveled to Indiana where they spent the night and engaged in sexual intercourse. The following morning, Thompson and the victim drove from Indiana into Illinois with the intent of driving to Thompson’s home in California until they were stopped by the ISP. At all times during Thompson’s car trip, he knew he had on his person his iPhone 5, which he knew stored two photographs visually depicting the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These photographs constitute child pornography.
In addition to the prison sentence, Thompson was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release when he gets out of prison, and ordered to pay a $4,383.00 fine. According to United States Attorney, “The facts of this case are particularly disturbing and highlight the necessity to educate our children about online child predators. I urge parents to be aware of where their children are on the internet and to know who their children are communicating with. My office remains committed to prosecuting dangerous criminals who prey on children. Keeping the children of this district safe is a top priority.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the ISP, the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force, Springfield Division, the FBI Cincinnati Field Division, and the Greater Cincinnati ICAC Task Force. Law enforcement received assistance from the FBI-Los Angeles Division, Collinsville, Illinois Police Department, Milford, Ohio, Police Department, and the Riverside County, California, Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump prosecuted the case in coordination with Assistant United States Attorney Christy Muncy, Southern District of Ohio.
Former School Business Official, and Treasurer of the Carterville School District, Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from the Carterville School DistrictRead the Press Release
Todd Ryan Frazier, 31, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, entered a plea of guilty in federal district court to an Indictment charging Embezzlement and Theft from the Carterville School District - a unit of local government that received federal funds, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The offense carries a total statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 8, 2014.
“Theft from the taxpayers, whether by force and violence, or with a pen, will not be tolerated.” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “In this and all such cases, my office will seek full restitution, and will aggressively pursue its collection.”
According to information revealed in Court, Frazier, from August 2008, and continuing through February 2012, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Carterville School District, Unit 5, in Williamson County, Illinois, while he was the School Business Official. This job included the duties and responsibilities to act as the treasurer and payroll officer for the district. In Court, the United States indicated that the loss was approximately $114,000.00, and that restitution should include the costs of audits conducted in ascertaining the loss amount. Although Frazier pled guilty to one count of a multiple count indictment, his conduct in the remaining counts is considered as relevant conduct by the Court in determining the appropriate sentence to impose.
The successful prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Man Convicted of Armed Bank Robbery and Use of A Firearm During A Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Phillip D. Webb, 33, plead guilty in the United States District Court to a four-count indictment charging him with Armed Bank Robbery, Use and Carry of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Documents filed in US District Court establish that on June 28, 2011, two women stopped at the Quick Trip station in Madison, Illinois, to buy gasoline. As the driver reentered her vehicle after paying at the pump, Webb slipped into the backseat of her car and pointed a gun at her and her mother. Webb then abducted the two victims, forcing them to drive to a nearby ATM and withdraw money from a bank account. Webb was arrested by the United States Marshals on July 18, 2011, as he fled from an apartment in Collinsville, Illinois. Upon his arrest, Webb was found in possession of two firearms, several rounds of ammunition and 26 grams of crack cocaine which he intended to distribute. Webb was a previously convicted felon, having been convicted of the offense of second degree murder in 2003.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced in the US District Court on May 30, 2014, at which time he faces a term in prison of up to 25 years on the charge of Armed Bank Robbery, not less than seven (7) years up to Life for the charge of Use and Carry of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, up to 20 years on the charge of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, and up to 10 years on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Webb also faces a fine up to $1,750,000 and a term of supervised release of up to five (5) years once he is released.
The case was investigated by the Illinois State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Madison Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ali Summers and Donald Boyce.
East St. Louis Trucking Company Owner Sentenced for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that William Patrick “Pat” Clark, 40, of Worden, IL, the owner, operator, and president of Clark Trucking and Excavation, LLC, which was located at 912 Market Street in East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 special assessment, and ordered to make restitution to his truck drivers in the total amount of $273,118.43. In a September 2013 trial, a jury found Clark guilty on ten felony counts charging him with making false statements.
Clark unlawfully profited from a scheme in which he submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation false payroll certifications claiming to have paid Davis-Bacon Act required prevailing wages to his employees on the federally funded I-64 Highway project. Clark cheated his employees by paying only about $15 per hour, rather than the required $35.45 per hour (without approved fringe benefits) for truck drivers on the project. Nine of his drivers testified at trial. Clark also signed a sworn affidavit falsely claiming satisfaction of labor laws pertaining to the payment of wages to workers in connection with the I-64 project. Clark Trucking had collected about $1.6 million for its hauling work.
The charges in this case followed an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General-Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Quinley and Stuart Zander.
Belleville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Case is One of Many Brought as a Result of United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that London M. Brown, 21, of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis for two counts of Armed Robbery and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The robbery counts are federal “Hobbs Act Robbery.” The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and is used by United States Attorney Wigginton’s office as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois.
“I continue to be fully committed to using every tool at my disposal to ensure the peace and safety of Southern Illinois’ residents.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton. “As I said when I announced the Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative, these robberies carry very severe federal penalties. Do this and you will find yourself in federal prison far from your family and friends.”
Brown was sentenced to 135 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $300 special assessment, and a fine of $600. There is no parole in the federal system. The charges relate to two armed robberies that Brown committed at the Circle K gas station at 2709 West Main, Belleville. Brown committed the first robbery on July 22, 2013, armed with a .22 caliber rifle. He committed the second robbery on August 15, 2013, armed with the same gun. During the first incident, Brown robbed the store clerk of $100. During the second, he robbed a different clerk of $358.
Police spotted Brown soon after the second incident; they chased Brown through several Belleville neighborhoods and finally found him hiding in some bushes, where they arrested him. Brown made statements to the police admitting to both armed robberies. Police found $362 in cash on his person, which has been transferred back to Circle K. Brown has been ordered to pay as restitution the balance he stole from Circle K.
The case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Belleville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark.
Timeshare Owners Re-Victimized by Florida Telemarketer Promising Court Ordered Restitution Checks for an Advanced FeeRead the Press Release
Rance White, 25, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury in East St. Louis for participating in a "recovery scheme," a scheme to re-victimize timeshare owners who had already been victimized in a timeshare resale fraud, through the false promise of a restitution award, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced. The indictment contains a single count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
In a timeshare resale scam, timeshare owners are contacted by someone who claims to have a buyer for the person’s timeshare property. In exchange for an upfront fee (typically in excess of $1,000), the telemarketer promises that the sale will be finalized within a certain period of time and that a check for the sale price (typically in excess of $20,000) will then be delivered to the customer. No sale ever occurs, and the fraudulent company simply pockets the money. Thousands of timeshare owners across the country have fallen victim to this scam.
South Florida is a hotbed for timeshare resale fraud, and in recent years, several major timeshare resale operations located in Palm Beach County, Florida, have been investigated and prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois, including companies called Universal Marketing Solutions (UMS), Creative Vacation Solutions (CVS), and American Marketing Group (AMG). One of the most publicized of these prosecutions was the case against former CVS CEO Jennifer Kirk: United States v. Kirk, No. 3:11-CR-30093-GPM. Kirk was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment but victims were unable to be made whole, thus creating the opportunity for the instant alleged scam.
Since July 31, 2012, timeshare resale victims across the country have been contacting the United States Attorney’s Office and/or the United States Postal Inspection Service in the Southern District of Illinois to report having been contacted by telephone by someone claiming that they (the victims) were entitled to a restitution award specifically designated for victims of timeshare resale fraud, including victims of UMS, CVS, and AMG. Some victims received email messages after the initial contact by telephone.
The indictment alleges that by way of scam e-mails, from the late summer and fall of 2012, victims were told they were entitled to a settlement in the case of the State of Florida vs. Jennifer Kirk or the State of Florida vs. Jeff George.1 These e-mails also gave the name of an attorney who supposedly works in the “Economic Crimes Division,” of the 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida, and whom the victim is told to contact in order to obtain the promised restitution. The e-mails state that an advance fee, typically several hundred dollars, is required in order to “claim and release your package.” Victims who called the phone number listed were told that the fee needed to be sent via Western Union or MoneyGram.
In August 2012, the indictment alleges, a U.S. Postal Inspector, acting in an undercover capacity on behalf of a victim contacted by the scam, sent undercover funds totaling $129 to pay the requested fees via Western Union from Fairview Heights, Illinois. The first attempt to collect the fees were at a Western Union outlet at a West Palm Beach, Florida Publix grocery store later in the day on August 2, 2012, but the transaction could not be paid out because of an incorrect answer to the test question. The payment was subsequently picked up on August 3, 2012, at a check cashing store in West Palm Beach, Florida. The indictment alleges that Publix maintained photographs of the person who attempted to pick up that fraud transaction as well as a separate Western Union payment at the same store the next day.
If convicted, the defendant is subject to a term of imprisonment of up to 25 years, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce E. Reppert and William E. Coonan.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.