Central District of Illinois

URBANA, Ill. – Richard G. Simms, 74, currently of Marietta, Ohio, was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment, to be followed by twenty-four months of home confinement, on September 20, 2021, for theft of federal funds related to defrauding Kankakee’s wastewater utilities, Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency (KRMA), and the city’s Environmental Service Utility (ESU), of more than $2,000,000.

United States District Judge Colin S. Bruce imposed the nine-month sentence of imprisonment, citing Simms’s age and health concerns. Judge Bruce also sentenced Simms to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, during which time Simms will be required to serve the twenty-four months of home confinement and pay $2,025,000 in restitution to KRMA and ESU. The prosecution had recommended a thirty-month sentence of imprisonment, reflecting the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

During the sentencing hearing, the government presented victim-impact statements from City of Kankakee Comptroller Elizabeth Kubal and Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Shore detailing how Simms’s $2 million fraud violated their trust and has resulted in higher wastewater and sewer fees for Kankakee-area taxpayers.

During the time of the alleged fraud, from 2014 through 2018, Simms served as executive director of KRMA, which was responsible for treating wastewater from its member municipalities, namely, Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Aroma Park, Illinois. KRMA also treated wastewater from Manteno and Chebanse, Illinois, by intergovernmental agreement. During this period, Simms was also the Superintendent of ESU, which serves as Kankakee’s public works and sewer system. At the same time, Simms owned and operated Simms Engineering, LTD. From 2014 through 2018, Simms received more than $2.5 million in salary and legitimate payments: approximately $1,124,288 from KRMA and approximately $1,594,585 from ESU.

Simms pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds during a prior proceeding, where he admitted that independent of his salary and payments, he fraudulently received approximately $2.2 million - $768,000 from KRMA and $1,257,000 from ESU - as payment to Simms Engineering for software development by Plum Flower International. Simms and his daughter registered Plum Flower International with the State of Illinois in March 2014 purportedly to develop a software application for medical companies to track medical records. Although Simms did not have board approval or contracts with his engineering firm to develop software, he submitted fraudulent and inflated invoices to KRMA and ESU for software development. Simms circumvented KRMA’s invoice payment procedure by submitting invoices directly to its accounting firm. As a result, KRMA’s superintendent and administrative assistant did not approve and were unaware of the invoices.

From May 2014 through September 2018, Simms Engineering transferred more than $2 million to Plum Flower International, which represented more than 95% of its revenue during this time frame. Plum Flower International used approximately $161,000 of the funds to pay another company to create a software application which they attempted to sell on the open market. The remaining funds were used for the personal benefit of Simms and his daughter, the owners of Plum Flower International.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.

URBANA, Ill. – Michael D. Turner, 36, of the 1500 block of Hobson Drive in Rantoul, Ill., was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor.

In April 2021, Turner entered a guilty plea to one count of enticement of a minor. According to court documents, the case arose when the Illinois State Police learned that Turner was engaging in sexually explicit online communications with a 16-year-old girl in an effort to entice her into a sexual relationship.

In November 2020, a federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Turner with enticement of a minor, following his October 2020 arrest pursuant to a criminal complaint. Also in October 2020, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Turner be detained pending trial. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

Turner was arrested following an investigation by the Illinois State Police, which is a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien – who also is the Deputy Bureau Chief with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force – represented the government in this case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

URBANA, Ill. – Timothy Lyle Dean, 38, of the 200 block of Spencer Court, in Bourbonnais, Illinois, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor.

In April 2021, a federal jury convicted Dean of one count of enticement of a minor. Evidence presented at trial showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified Dean when he arranged to meet an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old minor for sexual activity on the dating application Grindr. 

In March 2020, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Dean with enticement following his February arrest pursuant to a criminal complaint. U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Dean be detained pending trial following that arrest, and he has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Dean was arrested over Valentine’s Day weekend in 2020 as part of an FBI Springfield Division Operation conducted in Kankakee County, Illinois. The operation was conducted with the coordination and assistance of the Bradley Police Department, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Peirson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien-Ranck – also the Deputy Bureau Chief with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force – represented the government at trial.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

URBANA, Ill. –Jeffrey M. West, 53, of the 1300 block of S. Third Street, in Mattoon, Illinois, was sentenced today to 45 years (540 months) in federal prison for child sexual exploitation offenses.

In April 2021, a federal jury convicted West of two counts of sexual exploitation of minors; two counts of commission of the offense by a registered sex offender; two counts of receiving child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography.

The government’s evidence at the April trial established that law enforcement became aware of West when a minor disclosed that West had sexually abused him in 2019. During the subsequent investigation, computer forensic analysis showed that West had collected more than 1,000 images and videos involving child pornography, including sexually explicit depictions of infants and prepubescent minors, which were found on multiple devices in his home and at his business, West Side Motors, in Mattoon.

In addition, the government’s evidence showed that West used the video-chatting website Omegle to entice and coerce multiple unidentified minor males to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which he captured for his child pornography collection.

West has a prior conviction in Coles County for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 10-year-old minor female and a 4-year-old minor male.

West was arrested in May 2019 in Mattoon on state charges, but was released on bond. In September 2019, a federal grand jury charged West by indictment, and he was subsequently arrested on the federal charges. Later that month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that West be detained pending trial. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his federal arrest.

Following West’s release from prison he will be on supervised release for fifteen years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

“Those who choose to sexually abuse children will be caught, prosecuted, and severely punished,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “I commend the diligent investigators of the Mattoon Police Department, working in conjunction with the FBI, for making our community safer.”

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Mattoon Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, and the Coles County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly Peirson and Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the government at trial.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

PEORIA, Ill. – James Wright, 50, of the 1500 block of South Easton Avenue, in Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on September 9, 2021, to 37 years (444 months) in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted sex trafficking of a child as a registered sex offender.

 At Wright’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid found that Wright’s claim that he had merely been attempting to investigate the trafficking of children, rather than attempting to engage in a sex act with a child, lacked credibility in light of the evidence produced at trial. Judge Shadid noted the lengths Wright had gone to in order to engage in a sex act with an individual that he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. Judge Shadid further stated that Wright’s 2012 state conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor female of the same age made his excuse even less believable.

At sentencing, the government produced evidence that Wright had engaged in protracted online discussions and negotiations related to engaging in a sex act with a minor and also had attempted to solicit pornographic images of the minor. The government noted that Wright had arrived at the location where the sex act was supposed to occur at the time agreed upon in those communications and stated that Wright was carrying the exact amount of money that had been agreed upon in a separate pocket from the rest of his money.

Wright was convicted following a bench trial of attempted sex trafficking of a child (Count One) while a registered sex offender (Count Two).

“This very significant sentence imposed by Judge Shadid again demonstrates that those who desire and take steps to sexually harm people they believe to be children will be severally punished,” said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. “The United States Attorney’s Office along with the FBI, ISP, and our other law enforcement partners, expends great effort and resources to try and proactively protect our children. We will continue to do all we can to arrest and prosecute those who want to sexually harm children.”   

"The FBI remains dedicated in the fight to protect our future by ensuring our children can prosper where individuals like Wright do not threaten their welfare," said Federal Bureau of Investigation-Springfield Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Ferguson. “With this sentencing, a clear and concise message is delivered to anyone who would prey on our nation’s most vulnerable of victims. The FBI, Illinois State Police and our law enforcement partners will use every available resource to stop child predators in their tracks, and the consequences of this egregious type of criminal behavior will be swift and substantial.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer and Paul B. Morris represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Wayne H. Kruger, 73, of Litchfield, Illinois, was sentenced on September 9, 2021, to 36 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for defrauding several banks in Central Illinois.

Kruger pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud on February 22, 2021. According to court documents, Kruger admitted that beginning in December 2010 and continuing through about May 2012, he attempted to execute or executed schemes to defraud banks including the Carlinville, Illinois, National Bank and Trust Company; the State Bank of Cerro Gordo, Illinois; and the State Bank of Bement, Illinois, resulting in a total loss of $4,185,957.  Kruger, then the president and owner of Ponder Equipment Company, Inc., a bus dealer, regularly sold buses “out of trust.” This fraudulent practice involves a dealership – here, Ponder – selling a bus that has been paid for with loan proceeds but failing to use the sale proceeds to pay back the lender. When Kruger sold a bus and failed to repay the associated loan, the relevant bank was unable to seize the loan collateral because it no longer existed as an asset of the business.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Mills noted that Kruger’s scheme affected small banks in communities built on personal relationships and trust. The judge also ordered restitution for all three banks in the amount of $4,185,957.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the prosecution.

PEORIA, Ill. –Harold Shane Koch, 42, of Pekin, Illinois, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ice methamphetamine.

Koch, who pleaded guilty on the same day he was sentenced, admitted that he conspired with others to buy and resell methamphetamine throughout the Pekin and Peoria areas for at least a six-month period from August 2019 until his arrest in February 2020.  Evidence presented in court showed that Koch sold ice methamphetamine to a police informant on at least two occasions and was also found with ice methamphetamine packaged for resale at the time of his arrest. 

At the joint change-of-plea and sentencing hearing, the government stated that the investigation of Koch's criminal activity had revealed that Koch's methamphetamine trafficking dated back to 2018 and involved over seven kilos of ice methamphetamine. The ice methamphetamine specifically seized from Koch during the investigation was determined to have at least 99% purity levels.

During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade noted that Koch had a stable upbringing and several successful stints in drug treatment in the past.  Judge McDade emphasized his hope that Koch would turn his life around after this conviction.

“The high-purity methamphetamine we are seeing in the Central District of Illinois is cheap, highly potent, and readily available,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey.  “It’s a drug that can bring out the absolute worst in people, its addictive qualities make it difficult to quit, and it wreaks havoc in our communities. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to steadily target the drug dealers who peddle this highly addictive substance to users.”   

Koch has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

PEORIA, Ill. – An East Peoria, Ill., man, Joshua Dunn, 29, of the 100 block of Callender Street, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on September 8, 2021, for possessing a firearm as a felon.

U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade cited Dunn’s felony record and the fact that the firearm was stolen in imposing sentence. According to court documents, Dunn has two prior felony convictions for domestic battery and was on supervised release at the time of this offense.

At the sentencing hearing, the court heard evidence that Dunn had stolen the Glock 9mm firearm from his family’s residence and lied to law enforcement about its whereabouts. The East Peoria Police Department later found the firearm with Dunn at a local hotel.

Dunn pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment on April 30, 2021. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest on January 10, 2020.

The East Peoria Police Department investigated the case with assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Pekin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The Department’s renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Galesburg, Illinois, man, Forest “Woody” Norville, 47, was sentenced to twenty years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on August 10, 2021, for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

On March 31, 2021, a federal jury found Norville guilty of possession with intent to deliver at least 50 grams of methamphetamine. The evidence at trial and during his recent sentencing hearing showed that while conducting a traffic stop on April 17, 2019, Galesburg Police officers found Norville with two vacuum sealed bags containing 106.2 grams of pure methamphetamine. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow noted that Norville, who has previous convictions for burglary and other drug-related offenses, also committed perjury during the trial.  

“Methamphetamine distribution and use continues to plague our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “The United States Attorney’s office, in close collaboration with our State’s Attorney partners, will continue to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute large-scale dealers. The sentence imposed by Judge Darrow sends another strong message that methamphetamine dealers will pay a stiff price for the harm they cause.”

The investigation was conducted by the Galesburg Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Knox County Sherriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Mathew and Alyssa Raya represented the government.

PEORIA, Ill. –John M. Henigan, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on August 26, 2021, to just over thirteen years (158 months) in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin.

Henigan, who pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of heroin last year, sold the drugs to a police informant in the fall of 2017. According to testimony at sentencing, investigators had learned Henigan was a significant heroin dealer in the Peoria area earlier that year. Through testimony and other evidence provided at sentencing, the district court also determined that Henigan caused the overdose death of a Washington, Illinois, man in April 2016. 

According to court documents, after Henigan’s arrest in 2019, he admitted he was a heroin dealer and provided a list of various crack cocaine and heroin customers he sold drugs to throughout the years, some of whom have since overdosed and died.  Evidence collected from Henigan’s phone showed that he also brokered sales of stolen firearms, in addition to his drug trafficking.  Numerous images of guns and drugs were found on his phone.  Evidence established that Henigan was not a drug user and earned hundreds of dollars a day dealing. 

Henigan’s heroin trafficking dated back to 2015 and involved over 880 grams of heroin, as well as crack cocaine. During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade emphasized Henigan’s “conscious and deliberate” decision to traffic drugs “that kill people.” Judge McDade also described Henigan’s involvement with trafficking stolen firearms as unjustifiable.

“This case starkly demonstrates what drug dealers can expect when they choose to sell poisonous drugs into our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey.  “Our office commends the Pekin Police Department’s dedication and perseverance in working up the chain to target high-level drug dealers in our community.  Their collaboration with DEA is a successful example of leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against drug dealers who profit off other people’s serious and tragic additions.”

“The Pekin Police Department appreciates the working relationship that we have with the DOJ,” said Pekin Police Chief John Dossey. “This case is a clear example of ‘team work’ between local and federal agencies in an effort to make a difference not only in our community, but in society as a whole.  I would like to recognize the Pekin detectives who worked tirelessly on this matter solely to better our community.  I would also like to thank the DOJ prosecution team who worked with our detectives to successfully prosecute this case to remove a dangerous individual from our streets.”

Henigan has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office and Morton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

PEORIA, Ill. – Sebastian Sale, 30, of Pekin, Illinois, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison following his conviction for attempted production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid further ordered that Sale serve a lifetime term of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence and register as a sex offender.

Sale, who pleaded guilty on April 8, 2021, admitted that he attempted to entice a person he believed to be a minor girl to film herself engaging in sexual conduct and to email the video to him. 

In a separate but related case, Sale’s girlfriend, Rachel Miller, was sentenced on May 13, 2020, to serve 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. Specifically, Miller had recorded a video of herself engaging in sexual activity with a prepubescent male, and Sale later distributed that video through the internet.

In imposing a sentence above the advisory sentencing guideline range of 180 to 210 months, Judge Shadid noted the “sad,” “vile,” “disgusting,” and “unimaginable” conduct in which Sale had engaged. Judge Shadid also observed that the defendant’s conduct was hard to distinguish from that of Miller.

Both Sale and Miller have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests in March 2020.

“Hopefully, the sentence Judge Shadid imposed will serve as a warning to others who may be inclined to harm minors and will make them think twice,“ said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. “They will be caught. Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office remains firmly committed to the Project Safe Childhood initiative, and we will do everything we can to both prevent and vigorously prosecute crimes against children.”

Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Washington, Ill., Police Department investigated the case.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on August 19, 2021, against Michael James Grommet, 36, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Buddy Hal Gunter, 45, of Waterloo, Iowa, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Sentencing for Grommet and Gunter has been scheduled on December 21, 2021, at the U.S. Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa.

During four days of trial, beginning on August 16, the government presented evidence establishing that in February 2019 Grommet and Gunter conspired with one another and others to distribute methamphetamine in both Iowa and Illinois. The case began when the Rock Island Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration seized approximately 100 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine from the defendants' coconspirators at Jumer's Casino in Rock Island, Illinois. Agents worked up the chain of distribution to identify the sources of the methamphetamine as Grommet and Gunter.

Grommet and Gunter remain in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service. At sentencing, Grommet faces statutory penalties of ten years to life imprisonment. Gunter faces statutory penalties of fifteen years to life imprisonment.

“Cheap and readily accessible methamphetamine continues to be a major public health problem plaguing our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. “The United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, will continue to target and prosecute high-level drug dealers responsible for bringing it into our area.” 

The case investigation was conducted by the Rock Island Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyssa Raya and Jennifer Mathew represented the government at trial.

URBANA, Ill.– A Champaign, Ill., man, Shamar N. Betts, 20, was sentenced to four years in federal prison on August 19, 2021, for inciting a riot in Champaign that began on May 31 and continued overnight to June 1, 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Mihm then reduced the sentence to three years imprisonment, in light of the year Betts had already spent in state custody. The judge ordered Betts to pay over $1.5 million in restitution. Following release from prison, Betts was ordered to remain on supervised release for three years.

At sentencing, Judge Mihm recounted the evidence that established Betts’s role in inciting the riot that began at Market Place Mall and spread to area businesses and moved to the commercial area of North Prospect Ave.:

On May 31, 2020, at 10:31 a.m., Betts posted a statement to Facebook and attached a flyer of a stock image of a burning vehicle overlaid with a date and time: “RIOT @ MarketPlace Mall, Time: 3.” The flyer listed items to bring including “friends, family, posters, bricks, bookbags, etc.” In a post accompanying the flyer, Betts wrote, in part, “We gotta put Champaign/Urbana on the map -  expletive – gone hear and fear us too. SLIDE let’s get busy.”

Before 3:00 p.m., Champaign Police Department officers went to Market Place Mall to attempt to prevent a riot. When officers arrived, approximately 50 to 75 people had gathered. The group continued to grow in number, and at approximately 3:12 p.m., the group began breaking out windows at businesses located in the mall, including Old Navy and Macy’s, and looting merchandise from within. Betts is pictured in video footage of the riot exiting the Old Navy store with a handful of clothing items.

During the riot, Betts also used his cell phone to make and post a Facebook Live video. The video depicts Betts carrying multiple items, including numerous pairs of khaki pants with Old Navy tags attached. Betts is heard in the video repeatedly stating, “We out here…” In another video, taken by a bystander, Betts is seen carrying multiple items, including khaki pants, and walking from Old Navy. As Betts walked by the bystander, he stated, “I started this s---.”  Betts also used his cell phone during the riot to instigate others to join or to brag about starting the riot including statements such as “I started this,” and “Are you sliding to my riot?”

Dozens of off-duty officers were called to the riot where there were multiple assaults of officers and intense confrontations with the police by the group. This activity continued throughout the night and into the early morning hours of June 1, 2020. By the end of the night, approximately 73 businesses in the area had been vandalized and / or looted, including multiple small businesses that were set to reopen on June 1, after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss to those businesses exceeded $2.1 million.

Further, after the riot, Betts fled to Mississippi where he used his cell phone to conduct internet searches such as, “can police find your location by logging in messenger,” “can police track your facebook,” and “what are charges for starting a riot.”

"This case illustrates the major difference between legitimate First Amendment expression and inciting a riot. In close cooperation with our law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney's Office remains committed to vigorously prosecuting those who incite and cause wanton damage," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. "At the same time, we remain equally committed to ensuring all citizens have the opportunity to legitimately exercise their First Amendment rights."

“The FBI respects and encourages the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights within the U.S. Constitution,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox. “When someone chooses to engage in acts of violence, to incite violence, destroy property, or to assault law enforcement this is illegal activity and clearly is not someone exercising their rights as afforded under the U.S. Constitution.  This sentence serves a clear message the FBI is committed to working with our partners to ensure justice is served and the people in our communities are protected.”

Betts was arrested in Mississippi on June 5, 2020, by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force. He has been detained in custody since his arrest. On July 8, 2021, Betts was sentenced to three years of probation in Champaign County, Illinois for burglary related to the riot.

The Champaign Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, conducted the investigation in coordination with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois, has agreed to pay approximately $2.82 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for medically unnecessary cardiac catheterization procedures performed by a physician who no longer practices in the Central District of Illinois. Today’s settlement resulted from a voluntary disclosure by Blessing Hospital.

The settlement will be apportioned as follows: the United States will receive nearly $2.59 million, the State of Illinois will receive approximately $225,000, and the States of Iowa and Missouri will receive the remainder. The settlement resolves allegations that Blessing Hospital obtained payments from Medicare and Medicaid for the facility component of cardiac catheterization procedures performed between August 1, 2012, and August 30, 2018, in which the physician implanted medically unnecessary coronary arterial stents.   

“Blessing Hospital made the difficult and correct decision to come forward,” said Acting United States Attorney Douglas J. Quivey for the Central District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously investigate healthcare fraud and protect taxpayer dollars, and cooperation from healthcare providers like Blessing Hospital goes a long way in supporting that mission.”

“The physician performing these allegedly needless procedures exploited patients and the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Blessing Hospital assisted in identifying the harm to the programs by disclosing these facts. Our agency commends providers who defend Federal health care systems."

"The Illinois State Police is dedicated to investigating healthcare fraud and to ensuring that tax dollars are used appropriately for the care of patients," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. "The  cooperation of healthcare providers can aid our healthcare fraud investigations and help us accomplish this effort." 

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hoelzer and Department of Justice Senior Trial Counsel Laurie Oberembt represented the government during the settlement process. To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil.

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Brandon M. Knoff, 32, of the 2002 block of Willow Rd., in Urbana, Illinois, with transportation and possession of child pornography.

The indictment charges Knoff with transportation of child pornography on June 3, 2020, and April 13, 2021, and possession of child pornography on July 26, 2021. According to court documents, the Urbana Police Department received five separate Cybertip referrals after three different social media and cloud storage applications reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an online social media user possessed and transmitted content believed to be child pornography onto their servers. The user’s internet addresses were connected to Knoff and included his home internet address in Urbana.

Knoff was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 27, 2021. Knoff has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. The NCMEC referral was reported to the Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force and referred to the Urbana Police Department. U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Urbana Police Department conducted the investigation.

If convicted, the offense of transportation of child pornography (two counts) carries a statutory penalty of at least five years to 20 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, the penalty is up to 10 years in prison.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Corbett Eugene Hayes, 40, of San Antonio, Texas, with sexual exploitation of a minor.

The indictment charges Hayes with having used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor from about March 15, 2021, through the date of his arrest on August 11, 2021, to produce sexually explicit images.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a report from the father of a Central Illinois teen that an unknown male was engaging in sexually graphic messages with his daughter through social media platforms and text messages.  The individual initially posed as a 16-year-old boy when he contacted the teen, but he later assumed the role of the fictitious 16-year-old’s uncle in their communications. Further investigation led the FBI to conclude that Hayes controlled the social media accounts for both identities.

Hayes also was identified in a separate investigation by the FBI Minneapolis field office for trading images of child pornography on a separate platform.

Hayes is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas on August 18, 2021, for a detention hearing and identity hearing to determine his transfer to the Central District of Illinois. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois will schedule a date for his appearance in Urbana once he is transported by the U.S. Marshals from Texas.

Hayes was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on August 12, 2021, near his home in San Antonio. Hayes has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield, San Antonio, and Minneapolis field offices conducted the investigation.

If convicted, the offense of sexual exploitation of a minor carries a penalty of no less than 15 years to up to 30 years in prison.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

PEORIA, Ill. –Boyd Egan, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on August 13, 2021, to nine years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud and identity theft. Egan also was ordered to pay $160,954.54 in restitution.

Egan, who pleaded guilty to the charges, defrauded numerous banks and individuals throughout Illinois. According to court documents, Egan unlawfully obtained the personal information of victims, including their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, personal banking information, and phone numbers. To effectuate the fraud, Egan typically used a high-quality fake driver’s license and credit card that contained the victim’s stolen personal information but bore Egan’s picture. In many instances, Egan carried out a “SIM swap” as well, wherein he took over the victim’s personal phone number and imported it to a mobile device of his own. Egan would then enter the victim’s bank; pretend to be the victim; and withdraw cash, obtain a cashier’s check, or attempt to do so.

In total, Egan was connected to at least 30 victims whose stolen identity he used to hijack their phone number and withdraw or attempt to withdraw funds from their bank accounts. Egan’s criminal conduct dated back to August 2019 and was state-wide, spanning the Chicago suburbs to central and southern Illinois. He was ultimately arrested by the Pekin Police Department on January 27, 2020, in central Illinois after attempting to withdraw money from a local physician’s account. 

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe B. McDade noted that scheme was well-planned and that Egan harmed the many victims of his crime. Several victims provided impact statements to the court.

“This case starkly demonstrates the risks and potential harm inherent in modern technology as it relates to identity protection and theft, cellular telephones, and mobile banking” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Our office remains committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute increasingly complex and changing fraud schemes. It is imperative that consumers diligently monitor and protect their data and financial transactions and report issues promptly.”

“This case is an excellent example of the great working relationships the Secret Service maintains with our State and local law enforcement agency partners,” said U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Jeff Rinehart, of the Springfield, Illinois, field office. “It also illustrates the importance of the Secret Service’s efforts to stay at the cutting edge of cyber investigative capabilities as they relate to crimes involving this level of technology.”

Egan has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the state; primary assistance was provided by the Hinsdale and Pekin Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

Peoria, Ill. – A Peoria, Ill. man, Jimmy Deffenbaugh, 71, has been sentenced to 240 months in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor.

According to court documents in April 2020, Deffenbaugh, using a cellular device, responded to a solicitation ad in Peoria, Ill. and did knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.

Deffenbaugh was arrested on April 9, 2020, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police. Deffenbaugh has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since that time.

On March 18, 2021, Deffenbaugh entered a plea of guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul B. Morris and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution and sentencing.  

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Ill., man, Courtland Rowell, Jr., 21, of the 900 block of Moore Street has been sentenced to 114 months for obstruction of commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

At Rowell’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Rowell to 30 months of imprisonment for the obstruction of commerce by robbery charge, and an additional 84 months for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Both sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Rowell was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the offense.

The charges arose from a late-night robbery of the Casey’s General Store at 845 East Voorhees Street in Danville on June 3, 2019. Rowell and another individual entered the store wearing masks and dark clothing. Brandishing a firearm, Rowell ordered the store’s employees to comply while his partner cleared out the register. Law enforcement was alerted to the robbery in progress and captured Rowell as he fled from the scene. Charges are still pending in the Central District of Illinois against another individual related to this offense.

Rowell pled guilty to the charges on March 18, 2021.

The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves. For more information on the Project Safe Neighborhoods program visit https://www.justice.gov/psn

“To help make our community safer, the United States Attorney’s Office remains fully vested in all of the pillars of project Safe Neighborhoods. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and State’s Attorney partners to prosecute the most deserving violent offenders in the proper forum while at the same time marshaling all available Department of Justice resources to promote the other three pillars.” Said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. A holistic approach to reduce gun violence to include full community cooperation is essential.”

The Danville Police Department and Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres represented the government in the prosecution in coordination with the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office.

URBANA, Ill. – A Dolton, Ill., man, Jerry Caldwell, 59, of the 14000 block of Shepard Drive has been sentenced to 64 months in the Bureau of Prisons for possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

At Caldwell’s sentencing hearing on July 12, 2021, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Mihm found Caldwell was responsible for possessing three handguns, one of which had an obliterated serial number. At the time of sentencing, Judge Mihm rejected Caldwell’s testimony that he bought the guns because he intended to turn them over to a nonprofit organization that worked to remove guns from the street.

The charges arose from a drug investigation conducted by the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Law enforcement learned that Caldwell was attempting to purchase several handguns from a detainee at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee, who was trying to sell the guns through a third party while he was in custody. During covertly recorded phone calls, Caldwell told the seller that he was purchasing the guns so he could resell them to another individual in Chicago. On April 1, 2020, Caldwell traveled to Kankakee County and purchased the guns. During a traffic stop, law enforcement arrested him and seized the three handguns he purchased. Officers also seized a shotgun and AK-47-style rifle from a residence in Kankakee that Caldwell declined to purchase.

The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.

“The prosecution of this case falls squarely into the third pillar of Project Safe Neighborhoods, said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. The illegal gun trade helps fuel the violence plaguing our community and the broader surrounding area. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to curtailing it.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Kankakee Police Department, and Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Freres represented the government in the prosecution.

Rock Island, Ill. – A Silvis, Ill., man, Michael Robert McKinney, 23, has been sentenced to 144 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor.

On March 11, 2021, McKinney entered a plea of guilty to the indictment, which charged him with one count of attempted enticement of a minor. According to court documents McKinney traveled from Silvis, Ill., to Rock Island, Ill., after responding to an online advertisement. McKinney intended to meet with the father who posted the advertisement, in order to engage in oral sex with his eleven-year-old daughter.

McKinney has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on November 13, 2020.

“Working with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute those who intend to sexually harm children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Hopefully, this case and others like it will serve to remind anyone with the inclination to prey upon children to think twice and to stop. Children and parents need to remain constantly vigilant and exercise caution when accessing the internet, communication apps, and similar platforms.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox stated, “Crimes against children are some of the most reprehensible acts that law enforcement is determined to prevent and punish. The FBI will use every available resource to find and arrest those intent on harming our children. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to others who seek to exploit the innocence of children online - law enforcement is watching, and you will be caught. The successful outcome of this case is credited to the Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force, a collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Rock Island Police, Illinois State Police, East Moline Police, Davenport Police, Galesburg Police, Knox County Sheriff’s Department and Macomb Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Urbana, Ill. – A Champaign, Ill. man, Quintez Turner, 41, has been sentenced to 294 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense, possessing heroin with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce found Turner’s extensive criminal history appropriately led to him being classified as a career offender. The government presented evidence of Turner’s involvement in the distribution of narcotics within the Central District of Illinois and his history of violence.

Turner’s sentence follows a guilty plea to all charged offenses.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Champaign Street Crimes Task Force, and Champaign Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Ritzer represented the government in the prosecution.

PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Ill., man, Keith L. Winters, 31, was sentenced on July 21, 2021, to an aggregate term of 67 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for conspiring and stealing firearms from federal firearms licensees, possessing stolen firearms, and possessing firearms while a felon. Altogether, Winters’s burglaries involved 94 stolen firearms.

Winters, who pleaded guilty to the charges, admitted that on March 21, 2019, he and two others drove a stolen truck from Peoria to The Tac Shack in Monmouth, Illinois. Two additional accomplices accompanied the truck by car to serve as a lookout. When both vehicles arrived at The Tac Shack, participants in the burglary shattered the glass storefront and made entry. After taking 36 guns from the store, the men drove back to Peoria and divided up the stolen guns. Winters further admitted that on March 29, 2019, he and several others drove a stolen truck from Peoria to Farm King in Galesburg, Illinois, where the men used wire cutters to enter a fenced area, then broke a window to make entry. Like the first burglary, two additional accomplices in a separate vehicle acted as a lookout for law enforcement. After taking 58 guns from Farm King, the men drove back to Peoria to divide up the stolen guns. At the time Winters committed each of the burglaries, he had previously been convicted of felony offenses and was prohibited by law from possessing firearms.

At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that law enforcement recovered approximately 40 of the firearms in the months following the burglaries. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department used the ATF’s ballistic imaging network to determine that the stolen guns had traveled to Peoria, Chicago, and Evanston, as well as out of Illinois, including to cities in Iowa, Indiana, and Alabama. Many of the firearms recovered were linked to other crimes, including robbery, unlawful possession of weapons, shootings, and homicide. Shell casings from one of the guns matched those from one of several firearms discharged in a gunfight on the Peoria Riverfront on July 19, 2020, where 13 people were wounded.

Previously, on July 16, 2020, Winters’s co-defendant Jeremy L. Howard, 41, was sentenced to 52 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for his involvement in the possession and distribution of firearms. On June 2, 2021, codefendant Miray A. Smith, 21, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for conspiring and stealing firearms from federal firearms licensees and possessing stolen firearms. Both men resided in Peoria at the time of their crimes. At Smith’s sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Michael M. Mihm emphasized the dangerousness of the distribution of unlawful firearms on the streets, likening a stolen gun to a boulder rolling down a mountain that will inevitably crash into something and destroy lives.

“Working with the ATF and our other law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing what it takes to get guns out of the hands of people who cannot legally possess them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Burglaries of licensed firearms dealers represent a major threat to public safety not just in Central Illinois but to the entire region, and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute all of those responsible.”

“ATF will continue to collaborate with state and local partners to investigate all thefts from federal firearms licensees,” commented ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division. “I commend the coordinated effort of the law enforcement agencies in investigating this case and the United States Attorney’s office for charging it.”

The charges are the result of investigation by the ATF, with assistance from the Galesburg Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth Police Department; Peoria County Sheriff’s Office; and the Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution of the case in coordination with the Warren County, Knox County, and Peoria County State’s Attorneys’ Offices.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A former technology coordinator who worked for Blue Ridge Community School District in Farmer, City, Ill., Joshua Raymer, 45, was sentenced on July 22, 2021, to 30 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, in relation to a scheme that defrauded the district of approximately $336,276 over two years. 

Raymer pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme in February 2021. According to court documents, during the time Raymer carried out the scheme, from April 2016 to December 2018, he falsely represented to a district official that computer switches had failed, and replacements were needed to maintain the district’s computer system. Raymer repeatedly used his position to have the district order and pay for more than 100 computer switches that it did not use or need, from two separate vendors, at a total cost of more than $400,000. Another 28 computer switches were ordered that were never paid for that resulted in a loss to the vendor of approximately $106,200.

When Raymer received the switches, he admitted that he sold them as if they were his personal property and used the money for himself. Acting under his name and doing business as “The Bored Woodworker,” Raymer contacted at least five different buyers and negotiated a purchase price for the switches that had been shipped to and paid for by the Blue Ridge school district. Raymer then shipped the switches to his buyers and had payments issued to himself or his business name.

At the sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough also ordered Raymer to pay $460,373.77 in restitution. Raymer is required to pay $336,276 to the school district and its insurer and $106,200 to a computer vendor. The judge also ordered Raymer to pay an additional $17,897.77 to Special Olympics Illinois in relation to a theft from that organization, where Raymer worked following his employment with the school district. Raymer had agreed to pay restitution in relation to that uncharged conduct as part of his plea agreement.

“The Farmer City Police Department deserves praise for an outstanding investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Public corruption at any level of government simply cannot be tolerated. Our school children deserve quality technology, and prosecution with a resulting prison sentence that includes restitution serves to restore a needed level of public trust and reminds us all that those who decide to cheat will pay a stiff price.”

The charges were investigated by the Farmer City, Ill., Police Department, with the full cooperation of the school district, which referred the matter to law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass represented the government in the prosecution.

PEORIA, Ill. – Alaa Iwaisi, 30, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced on July 20, 2021, to 36 months in federal prison for filing false federal personal tax returns, aiding in the filing of false federal corporate returns, and mail fraud for mailing false small business corporation tax returns to the State of Illinois for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Iwaisi, who formerly owned and operated the MacArthur Corner Store Food & More in Peoria, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2021, to the nine-count indictment charging him with underreporting sales from the store on both federal and state returns. At Iwaisi’s sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm found that even though Iwaisi had actual receipts reflecting the store’s sales, he provided false information about the sales to his return preparer. The judge also found that Iwaisi often paid employees and himself with cash straight from the cash register, despite being advised by the return preparer to issue company paychecks.

Also at sentencing, Judge Mihm further ordered that Iwaisi’s prison term be followed by concurrent one- and three-year terms of supervised release on the tax and mail fraud charges, respectively. And the judge ordered Iwais to pay unpaid taxes amounting to $108,125 to the Internal Revenue Service and $86,105 to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Until July 18, 2021, Iwaisi had been on bond, subject to conditions including that he refrain from transferring or dissipating any assets. Following the filing of petitions to revoke his bond for violating those conditions, Iwaisi was detained pending a hearing on the issue. 

At the hearing, Judge Mihm revoked Iwaisi’s bail and found that he had obstructed justice by encumbering and dissipating assets. The government presented evidence at the hearing showing that Iwaisi had used $5,000 as down payment for the purchase of a $62,000 Range Rover, sold a 2004 BMW for $4,500, transferred title of a Recreational Vehicle, sold a 2015 Range Rover for $35,000, and used assets to pay for inventory at a convenience store recently purchased  by his ex-wife. The government also presented evidence that in seeking financing for the Range Rover, Iwaisi falsely claimed that he had monthly income of $10,000 from managing a liquor store.  However, Iwaisi had reported to U.S. Probation that he was unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation from the State of Illinois.

“Paying taxes is a civic duty that allows our society to thrive and for us to care for those who need it the most,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “People who cheat the tax system will be held accountable to include serving prison time.”

“This sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office has in combating violations of Federal law,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “This sentence should serve as an example to those who might think about trying to cheat the US tax system by under-reporting income. You will serve jail time for stealing from hard-working Americans.”

The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Division; United States Postal Inspection Service; and Illinois Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Darilynn J. Knauss and Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

URBANA, Ill. –Daniel Brue, 48, formerly of Beardstown, Illinois, was sentenced on July 19, 2021, to 2 years and 9 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, following his conviction on four counts of wire fraud related to his theft from two area school districts. Brue also was ordered to pay $343,009.52 in restitution.

Brue, who pleaded guilty to the charges, admitted that he abused his position of trust while working as the superintendent for the Bement Community Unit School District #5, and, later, the Meridian Community Unit School District #15. Brue embezzled money from both school districts by creating and registering a fake company and then fraudulently invoicing the school districts for work never performed. Brue stole money from the districts between 2011 and 2019.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce noted that Brue’s scheme was not “simple” and that Brue took efforts to conceal his theft.  Recognizing that the money could have been used to help children, the judge observed that Brue’s crimes would have a long-term, detrimental impact on school districts that were already struggling. Bruce permitted Brue, who presently resides in Virginia, Illinois, to remain on bond prior to reporting to the Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.

“School superintendents and other public servants serve as leaders and role models to students and the community at large,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “When they abuse the public trust, prosecution serves to restore the trust and reminds us all that public misconduct will not be tolerated.”

“School districts, especially those in our rural areas, count on every penny to provide a quality education for their students,” said Sean M. Cox, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Springfield Division. “Over the span of 8 years, Daniel Brue embezzled school funds, funds which could have been put toward valuable supplies for the students and staff. Mr. Brue deprived students, and the educators teaching them, from having all available resources to provide the best educational experience, and that can never be replaced. This sentence sends a clear message that the FBI will continue to dedicate our investigative resources to stop anyone who engages in fraudulent activity to deprive others.”

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Ritzer and Melissa Moody represented the government in the prosecution.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –West Kinioki Mpetshi, 38, formerly of Jacksonville, Ill., was sentenced on July 16, 2021, to 33 months in federal prison, to be followed by a year-long term of supervised release, for filing false income tax returns and aiding the filing of false tax returns. 

At Mpetshi’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Sue Myerscough found that Mpetshi immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo and shortly thereafter engaged in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service of hundreds of thousands of dollar as a tax preparer by claiming false moving expenses and educational credits for himself and others on federal income tax returns.  Mpetshi, who was able to speak and write in English, prepared tax returns for other immigrants of the Democratic Republic of Congo living in the Jacksonville area who could not read or write in English. 

Mpetshi, who was convicted of 30 counts of tax fraud after a 2-week jury trial, also was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $86,601. In addition, Mpetshi was ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution in the case, which totaled $74,507.77. Prior to sentencing, Mpetshi resided in Kirksville, Missouri. He is presently on bond prior to reporting to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence.

“There is a misconception that people convicted of tax crimes do not cause real harm and do not serve long sentences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “This case shows the opposite. Our tax system is based upon voluntary compliance and those who knowingly violate the rules and short-change the United States Treasury, especially tax preparers who have a duty to assist their clients in filing accurate tax returns, will be prosecuted and held accountable.”

“Return preparer fraud erodes trust in the entire American taxation system; it affects not only the preparer, but the individuals who have filed false information with Internal Revenue Service,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “It is our hope that the sentence sends the strong message that tampering with the integrity of our nation’s tax system will result in jail time.”

Agents from the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris represented the government in the prosecution.

URBANA, Ill. –Dwayne White, 56, of the 1300 block of Briarcliff Dr., in Rantoul, Ill., was sentenced today to 150 months (12 1/2 years) in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography.

On March 8, 2021, White entered a plea of guilty to the indictment.  The indictment charged White with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography between April 2, 2020, and June 18, 2020. White has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on June 18, 2020.

Following White’s release from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for 10 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

The charges were investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Champaign County Sherriff’s Office; and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led by the Illinois Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

URBANA, Ill. –Jeremiah Hill, 32, of the 14100 block of East Central, Pembroke Township, in rural Kankakee County, Ill., was sentenced today to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison for possession of firearms by a felon.

On March 25, 2021, Hill entered a plea of guilty to the indictment.  The indictment charged Hill with five counts of possession of a firearm by a felon between March 24, 2019, and July 1, 2019. Hill has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on July 17, 2019. According to court documents, Hill sold a total of eleven firearms to an undercover agent.

Hill will be required to complete three years of supervised release following his release from the Bureau of Prisons.

The charges were investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Kankakee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution.

URBANA, Ill. – Courtney Williams, 32, of the 3500 block of Plover Dr. in Decatur, Ill., was sentenced today to 324 months (27 years) in federal prison for child sexual exploitation offenses.

On March 11, 2021, Williams entered a plea of guilty to the indictment, which charged that for the time period between Jan. 17, 2020, and Jan. 25, 2020, Williams used the internet and a cell phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity that qualified as aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Williams portrayed himself as a 17-year-old male while communicating online with a minor girl via Snapchat and text. As part of these communications, Williams solicited the girl to send him sexually explicit photos and to meet him to engage in sexual activity. Further, Williams lured the minor into his vehicle on the evening of Jan. 24, 2020, and took her to his residence where he gave her drugs which caused her to lose consciousness. While the minor girl was unconscious, Williams sexually assaulted her.

Williams has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on Feb. 7, 2020.

Following Williams’s release from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for 10 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

The charges were investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Decatur Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury deliberated for just over two hours before returning a guilty verdict this afternoon against Bryan Rossi, 31, of the 400 block of Titonka Street in Park Forest, Ill., for one count of enticement of a minor.

Over two days of testimony this week, the government presented evidence to establish that Rossi arranged to meet a 15-year-old minor for sexual activity on the dating application Grindr. 

Sentencing for Rossi has been scheduled for November 15, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm at the federal courthouse in Peoria, Ill. Rossi faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Rossi was arrested over Valentine’s Day weekend 2020 as part of an FBI operation conducted in Kankakee County, Ill. The operation was conducted with the assistance of the Bradley Police Department, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly Peirson and Melissa Moody represented the government at trial.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on June 21, 2021, against Abdul G. Alsamah, 51, formerly of Springfield, Ill., for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. Prior to his conviction, Alsamah was residing in Oakland, Calif. Sentencing for Alsamah has been scheduled for October 22, 2021, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield.

During four days of trial, beginning on June 16, the government presented evidence that between November 2014 and March 2016, Alsamah conspired with his co-defendant, Letha Dean, to distribute synthetic cannabinoids, sometimes referred to as K2 or spice – which are Schedule I controlled substances – to individuals in the Sangamon County, Ill. Alsamah and Dean distributed synthetic cannabinoids from the Crossing Two, a liquor store run by Alsamah, and a connected business, Mystic Enchantments, both in Springfield.

Alsamah was taken into custody after the verdict and remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. At sentencing, Alsamah faces a statutory penalty of up to twenty years in prison.

Eight other defendants have been convicted and sentenced in related cases: Mohammed Ali Saleh, Hamoud Hazam, Noman Hizam, Abdulrhamm Saleh, Abdu Saleh Mohamed, Walid Alanasawi, Jamal Nasir, and Ahmed Alkohshi.  Two other defendants, Mohanad Al-Matarneh and Letha Dean, have been convicted but have not yet been sentenced.

These cases are the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) task force investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Springfield Division, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Division; the Springfield Police Department; the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department; the Illinois Department of Revenue; the Illinois Secretary of State; and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Tanner K. Jacobs represented the federal government at trial.

OCDETF is a Department of Justice program that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Within the past six weeks, nine men have been arrested and charged in federal court with illegal possession of guns in Springfield, Ill., as part of an ongoing cooperative effort to reduce violent crime. As the Department of Justice renews its commitment to the tenets of Project Safe Neighborhoods, as announced last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland, a fundamental principle of this effort to reduce violent crime and build strong, safe communities is comprehensive enforcement that targets public safety priorities in communities.  

“Based on research and experience over the past two decades, Project Safe Neighborhoods is an effective initiative to bring together law enforcement at all levels as well as community leaders and partners to address violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Doug Quivey. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to gun violence; each community has its unique challenges. But we know that when we pool our resources and pull together, we can make a difference. We are committed to working together to take illegal guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them.”

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright said, “The fight against gun violence continues to be a top priority for collaboration with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. We are each more effective working together with leaders across our community to reduce violent crime and address the root causes of criminal conduct.”

Investigative agencies participating in this effort include the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Springfield Police Department; Illinois State Police; and, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

“I commend the efforts of the law enforcement personnel and prosecutors involved in these important investigations and prosecutions,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division. “Partnerships like these, along with focused resources on crime gun intelligence will keep communities safer by ensuring firearms are not in the hands of those prohibited from possessing them.”

The indictments allege the following for each defendant charged:

• Eric Allison, 26, of the 2200 block of E. Laurel St., Springfield, Ill., charged with 1) possession of a firearm and 2) possession of ammunition, by a prohibited person, a felon, on Jan. 5, 2021;
• Jeremy Banks, 30, of the 1700 block of Matheny Ave., charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, on April 8, 2021;
• Donovan Hoover, 26, of the 600 block of Wood St., possession of a firearm by a felon on April 4, 2021;
• Deonte M. Pinnick, 34, of the 1000 block of 16th St., possession of a firearm by a felon on Feb. 9, 2020;
• Latayveon Wells, 22, of the 200 block of N. State St., possession of a firearm by a felon, on Dec. 17, 2020;
• Anthony M. Davis, 30, of Mesquite, Texas, possession of a firearm by a felon, on Feb. 3, 2021;
• Kai R. Estomo-Encallado, 21, of Grayson, Texas, possession of a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, that was not registered to him, on Feb. 25, 2021;
• Jeremy Mitchell, 32, of the 2700 block of S. MacArthur Blvd., on April 7, 2021, 1) possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; 2) possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; 3) possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and, 4) felon in possession of a firearm; and,
• Demetrius M. Robertson, 29, of the 2300 block of S. 8th St., on Feb. 25, 2021, alleged 1) felon in possession of a firearm; 2) possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and, 3) possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; 4) possession with intent to distribute marijuana on Jan. 8, 2021; and, 5) possession of a firearm by a felon on June 27, 2020.

Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow said, “The Springfield Police Department has worked diligently, collaborating with Federal agencies, including the U.S. Attorney's Office, to ensure that those responsible for gun crimes are held accountable. Project Safe Neighborhoods, as well as cooperation with other local, state and county law enforcement and prosecutors acts as a force multiplier within our community, providing the residents of Springfield the utmost safety and peace of mind.”

“The escalation in the number of gun violence cases as well as the random locations is concerning to all of the law enforcement community,” said Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell. “The Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with all our partners to identify the offenders and bring them to justice. But we need help from our citizens. Anything you see and anything you know about these crimes needs to be reported.”

The defendants have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending their respective trial dates.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for the gun offenses charged, including felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of an unregistered shotgun with a barrel less than 18” is up to 10 years in prison. The two defendants charged with additional drug trafficking offenses face penalties of 10 years to life for crack cocaine and fentanyl, and up to five years in prison for marijuana, if convicted. For possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, the penalty is at least five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed for the underlying drug offense. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sierra Senor-Moore, Sarah Seberger, and Matthew Z. Weir represent the government in the federal case prosecutions.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury convicted a Springfield, Ill., man, Rafael Mercado Berrios, aka Jose Berrios, 42, of the 1200 block of N. 4th St., on June 4, of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and using the internet and cell phone to attempt to transmit information about a minor. The jury deliberated for nearly 90 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough. Sentencing for Berrios is scheduled on Oct. 15, 2021.

During two and a half days of trial, beginning on June 2, the government presented evidence that in late August 2020, Berrios used a social media application to engage with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. In addition, evidence was presented that Berrios went to a Springfield residence on Aug. 28, 2020, where he believed he would be meeting a 15-year-old girl to have a sexual encounter.

Berrios has been detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Aug. 28, 2020. At sentencing, Berrios faces a statutory penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison.

The charges are the result of investigation by the FBI – Springfield Division with the assistance of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and, the Illinois State Police with the assistance of the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Gregory K. Harris represented the federal government at trial.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PEORIA, Ill. – A Bloomington, Ill., man, Jacob R. Schultz, 36, of the 500 block of W. Seminary St., was sentenced on June 3, 2021, to serve 20 years in prison for distribution of heroin that resulted in the death of an individual in November 2018. In addition to the prison sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm ordered that Schultz remain on supervised release for five years following his release from prison.

Schultz has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on June 19, 2019. On Feb. 18, 2021, Schultz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin resulting in the death of an individual on Nov. 8, 2018, and one count of distribution of heroin on Feb. 24, 2019, which also resulted in a heroin overdose; however, the individual was successfully resuscitated.

The Bloomington Police Department and McLean County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution.

PEORIA. Ill. – A grand jury today indicted a Central Illinois man, John W. Beck, 54, of Mechanicsburg, Ill., for allegedly committing four robberies over a two-week period in April 2021.

The indictment alleges that Beck committed four robberies in three Central Illinois counties from April 8 to April 20, 2021. The robberies include the April 8, 2021 robbery of the Dollar General in Buffalo, Ill., in Sangamon County; robbery of the Odell Bank, Odell, Ill., in Livingston County, on April 9, 2021; robbery of the Fast Stop Store, also in Odell, Ill., on April 17, 2021; and, the armed bank robbery of Elmwood Community Bank, in Elmwood, Ill, Peoria County, on April 20, 2021.

Beck was arrested in Springfield, Ill. on April 21, 2021 on warrants issued by Livingston County and the Illinois Department of Corrections. He has remained in the custody of law enforcement in Livingston County. His date for appearance in federal court has not been set.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are up to 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery (one count) and up to 20 years in prison for two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, known as the Hobbs Act, and one additional count of bank robbery.

Agencies participating in the investigation include the FBI-Springfield Division; the U.S. Marshals Service; the sheriffs’ offices for Livingston, Edgar, Sangamon, Peoria and DeWitt counties, the Springfield Police Department, and the Elmwood Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss is representing the government in the prosecution.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. 

PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a Pekin, Ill., woman, Rachel Miller, 29, of the 1400 block of Summit Dr., to serve 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child. In addition, Judge Shadid ordered that Miller remain on lifetime supervised release upon completion of her prison sentence and register as a sex offender.

Immediately prior to today’s hearing, Miller pleaded guilty to using a cell phone, in March 2019, to capture a video of herself engaging in sexual activity with a prepubescent male. This video was later distributed to the internet.

In a separate but related case, Miller’s boyfriend, Sebastian Sale, 30, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, 2021. Sale pleaded guilty on April 8, 2021, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

Both Miller and Sale have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests in March 2020.

The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the Washington, Ill., Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Morris represents the government in the prosecutions.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In honor of National Police Week, on behalf of the Central District of Illinois’ U.S. Attorney’s Office, Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey recognizes the dedication and sacrifice of local, state, and federal police officers. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021. In the Central District of Illinois, more than 300 municipal police departments, 46 county sheriff’s offices, Illinois State Police, and federal agents serve and protect more than 2.2 million citizens every day.

“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”

“The past year has been incredibly trying for all law enforcement officers, including those who serve the Central District of Illinois,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Quivey. “Since last year’s annual observance, two central Illinois law enforcement officers were killed while in the line of duty, in traffic crashes: Momence Police Officer Troy Jacobson, 38 of Kankakee, on Dec. 10, 2020, and Illinois State Trooper Todd Hanneken, 45, of Long Creek, Ill., on March 25, 2021. While protecting us, these men made the ultimate sacrifice, for which we will forever be grateful.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices.  Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.  

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.

During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored.  Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19.

Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020.  LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website. 

The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.

Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.   

To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.

URBANA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm today sentenced Caleb Hickman, 46, of Granger, Ind., to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for attempted enticement, sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted receipt of child pornography.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Hickman entered pleas of guilty to the indictment that charged him with attempted enticement of a minor; attempted sexual exploitation of children; and, attempted receipt of child pornography from Feb. 14 to May 26, 2020, in Kankakee and Champaign counties. Hickman was previously charged in a criminal complaint and was arrested on May 26, 2020, in Indiana.

According to court documents, Hickman used social media applications to contact and engage with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old minor and made arrangements for the minor to travel from Champaign, Ill., to South Bend, Ind., to engage in sexual activity.

The FBI - Springfield Division investigated the charges with the assistance of the FBI -Indianapolis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A former administrator and supervisor for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Department of Vehicle Services, Candace Faye Wanzo, 58, of Centralia, Ill., has been ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison for defrauding the Secretary of State’s Office and the Illinois Department of Revenue. During the video conference hearing on May 6, 2021, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough ordered Wanzo to pay restitution and that she remain on supervised release for three years following completion of her prison term.  

Wanzo pleaded guilty on Nov. 13, 2020, to one count each of mail fraud, misapplication of government funds, and theft of government funds. Wanzo was responsible for operation of the Public Service Center in the Howlett Building, in Springfield, Ill., where, among other services, vehicle owners pay title and registration fees, apply and pay for license plates, and make sales tax payments related to vehicle sales. Wanzo admitted that from March 2015 to April 2017, she stole title and registration fees and sales tax payments and replaced the stolen funds with title and registration fees from other vehicle owners. As a result, Wanzo misapplied approximately $300,000 in title and registration fees to conceal fees that she had previously stolen. She also admitted to using the United Parcel Service (UPS) rather than the U.S. Mail to deliver license plates to conceal the delay caused by her having to locate and use other funds to replace stolen funds.

Wanzo was allowed to self-report to begin serving her sentence on a date to be determined by the federal Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI – Springfield Division investigated the case with the assistance of the Illinois Secretary of State Inspector General’s Office which referred the matter to federal law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris represented the government in the prosecution.

URBANA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm today sentenced Mathew McDuffie, 37, of the 1500 block of Holly Hill Dr., Champaign, Ill., to serve 130 months (10 years, 10 months) in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. In rendering sentence, the court noted the humiliating and degrading sexual abuse of toddlers depicted in McDuffie’s images of child pornography.

Following McDuffie’s release from prison, he was ordered to serve 15 years on federal supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

On Jan. 6, 2021, McDuffie entered pleas of guilty to the indictment that charged him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography on September 25 through 30, 2019. McDuffie has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on Aug. 13, 2020.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Champaign Police Department. 

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to raise awareness and prevent the financial exploitation of elders, local, state and federal law enforcement are partnering with social service organizations and financial institutions to train local bank tellers and loan officers to be aware of behaviors that may indicate that an older person could be a victim of financial exploitation. Last week, these organizations conducted a virtual training with banking institutions in Springfield to emphasize the importance of fraud prevention and reporting attempted scams and abuse.

“Increased isolation related to Covid-19 has been identified as a primary cause of a significant increase in the number of older Americans targeted for scams and fraud and of those who fall victim to these crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Doug Quivey. “Fraudsters use the internet and phone to reach vulnerable elder citizens and persuade them to give money to a charitable cause, to someone with whom they’ve developed a romantic connection, to access large winnings through a sweepstakes or lottery, and to pose as government employees who claim the victim owes taxes or social security.”

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright stated, “ For a variety of reasons, older citizens may not always be able to protect themselves from the increasing prevalence of financial scams or other exploitation, particularly those who suffer from memory impairment. Older individuals too often become targets for creative fraudsters out to take advantage of the vulnerable. Financial institutions are critical partners in the identification and reporting of crimes against the elderly.”

Signs of financial exploitation include an elder customer’s sudden change in banking activity to include frequent ATM withdrawals, wire transactions, gift cards purchases, or cryptocurrency purchases; a nervous or confused senior on the phone or in the bank; an elder customer who exits and immediately returns to the lobby; and elders who are elusive with details about why and to whom they are sending money or are confused about “missing funds.”

Timely reporting to law enforcement is critical; if a banking transaction related to a fraud is reported within the first 72 hours, law enforcement may be able to stop the transaction and retrieve the money. As time passes, the likelihood of recovering the money decreases.

In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Sangamon County States Attorney’s Office, those who presented training to local banks and credit unions included the Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Senior Services of Central Illinois; and, agents and officers with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, and the Springfield Police Department.

If a senior or friend or relative of a senior believes a senior is at risk for imminent danger or financial exploitation, they should call 9-1-1. Reports of financial exploitation and abuse should be reported to the non-emergency number at the Springfield Police Department (217-788-8311.) The Adult Protective Services Hotline number to report elder fraud is 866 800-1409. Elder fraud may also be reported to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 800-243-5377. Internet-based fraud should be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3,  https://www.ic3.gov/Home/FileComplaint Useful information about elder frauds and scams is available at www.uspis.gov and www.ftc.gov.

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning its guilty verdict this afternoon against Timothy Lyle Dean, 38, of the 200 block of Spencer Court, Bourbonnais, Ill., for one count of enticement of a minor.

Over two days of testimony this week, the government presented evidence to establish that Dean was identified when he arranged to meet an individual whom he believed to be a 14-year-old minor for sexual activity on the dating application Grindr. 

Sentencing for Dean has been scheduled for Sept. 14, 2021, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm. Dean faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment. Dean has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in February 2020.

Dean was arrested and charged as a result of an investigation by the FBI – Springfield Division, with the assistance of the Bradley Police Department, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien-Ranck of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office represent the government.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow sentenced Ajayi Marcel McIntyre, 42, on April 13, 2021, to serve 18 years in federal prison for distribution of heroin in April 2018, that resulted in the death of an East Moline, Ill., man. According to court documents, the heroin McIntyre distributed on April 17, 2018, was subsequently given to Kyle Medinger, who used the heroin and died of a heroin overdose.

McIntyre pleaded guilty on Sept. 16, 2020, to two counts of distribution of heroin in Rock Island County. McIntyre has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was charged in a federal indictment in June 2018.

Two individuals related to this incident, David Flores and Ashley Gengler, were charged in Rock Island County court.

The Moline Police Department; the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group; and, the Milan Police Department conducted the investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew prosecuted the case in cooperation with the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office.   

PEORIA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade today sentenced Tariq C. Lawson, 22, to 57 months (4 years, 9 months) in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.

At today’s hearing, immediately prior to sentencing, Lawson, of the 2400 block of Flora St., formally entered a plea of guilty as charged to the indictment. According to court documents and statements made in court, police responded to a disturbance on June 30, 2020, at the Walmart at 8915 N. Allen Rd., Peoria. A Peoria police officer observed the disturbance on Facebook in a live stream on Lawson’s account where Lawson appeared to have a handgun in his waistband while riding a motorized scooter in the store. The officer observed a juvenile who also had a gun, with Lawson.

When officers arrived at the store, they saw Lawson get into a vehicle. The vehicle’s owner consented to a search and officers found two handguns on top of groceries directly behind the area where Lawson was seated. At the time, Lawson had previously been convicted of a felony, and was on probation in Peoria County, and could not legally possess a gun.

Lawson has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on Aug. 27, 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by the Peoria Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

PEORIA, Ill. –A citizen of Cameroon, Lovette Namatinga, 34, has been sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison for defrauding a Bourbonnais, Ill., bank of nearly $300,000. At the sentencing hearing, on April 13, 2021, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm further ordered that Namatinga pay restitution in the amount of $278,201 to the bank and numerous other individual and business victims of the defendant’s fraud scheme.

Namatinga, of Owings Mills, Md., has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested on Oct. 7, 2019, at Washington Dulles International Airport by FDIC Office of Inspector General agents.

On Sept. 21, 2020, immediately prior to jury selection before his trial, Namatinga pleaded guilty to all counts of the indictment, four counts each of bank and wire fraud, as charged, related to his  defrauding Municipal Trust and Savings Bank, Bourbonnais, Ill. Namatinga admitted that he carried out the fraud from about February to April 2019, by falsely representing to the bank that the secretary of one of the bank’s customers requested that cashier’s checks be sent to Namatinga’s fraudulent company known as Keiko San Products Alimenticious, LLC. Namatinga is the registered agent for Keiko, and the four checks were mailed to his home address. Once the checks were deposited into Keiko bank accounts, Namatinga then transferred money from those accounts to his personal account or withdrew cash from those accounts.

In addition to the fraud committed through Municipal Trust & Savings Bank, Namatinga used his fraudulent business and multiple associated bank accounts to deposit and launder fraud proceeds from various other victims throughout the United States. Namatinga’s scheme, known as a business e-mail compromise scam, was just one such scheme in 2019 that resulted in more than 23,000 victims nationally, with an average loss of $75,000 per complaint, according to FBI crime statistics.

The FDIC Office of Inspector General conducted the case investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Ill., man made his initial appearance in federal court today after he was charged by criminal complaint for alleged possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Robert L. Tallent, 39, of the 500 block of S. 19th St., Quincy, Ill., was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday, April 10, 2021, in Quincy.

During today’s audio/videoconference hearing, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins, Tallent waived a detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled on April 15.

The complaint and supporting affidavit allege that on March 13, 2021, Tallent possessed approximately 19 grams of a crystal substance in six baggies, when Quincy police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Tallent. At the time, Tallent had an outstanding Adams County warrant for a charge of possession of methamphetamine. According to the affidavit, the substance tested positive for methamphetamine in a field test.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for the offense is five to 40 years in prison.

The charge is the result of an investigation by the Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force; the FBI – Springfield Division; the Quincy Police Department; and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger represents the government in the federal case prosecution with the cooperation of the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

URBANA, Ill. – A Decatur, Ill., man, Cornell D.A. Johnson, 24, of the 1100 block of East Division St., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for producing child pornography involving multiple minors. Upon imposing sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm described Johnson as a “ringmaster,” who engaged in an “exercise of power,” to prey on victims of a vulnerable age for his pleasure and satisfaction.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty pleas, entered on Feb. 19, 2020,  Johnson controlled multiple female-presenting profiles on Facebook, which he used to contact female Facebook users. He then enticed the minors to send him photographs that progressed from various stages of undress to sexually suggestive and/or sexually explicit photographs of themselves.

Once Johnson obtained compromising images, he threatened to injure the minor victims’ reputations and embarrass them by posting their nude pictures online if they failed to comply with his demands for additional images. Among his demands, Johnson specifically directed the minor teenagers to sexually abuse younger children in their household to produce images.

At the time of his arrest, in February 2019, Johnson was identified in more than 80 Cybertips Facebook reported from across the U.S. and Canada to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force affiliate agencies identified 17 minor victims located in nine judicial districts across eight states. The victims ranged in age from 4 to 17 years old.

Johnson has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. He was ordered to remain on supervised release for life upon completion of his prison sentence.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Decatur Police Department; the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Vital assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ offices for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Western District of Pennsylvania, the District of Arizona, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the Western District of Wisconsin.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

URBANA, Ill. – An indictment returned by a federal grand jury charges Jay Fisher, of Charleston, Ill., with 21 counts of tax fraud, for allegedly failing to report and pay federal employment taxes and personal income taxes. Fisher is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in federal court on April 19, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. The court hearing will take place in Urbana, via videoconference, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long.  

According to the indictment, Jay Fisher was responsible for the business of Financial Logic Inc., and, as such, was obligated to file a Form 941 and remit employment taxes for his employees.  Employment taxes are comprised of federal income tax, social security, and Medicare taxes. The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2018, Fisher failed to pay more than $300,000 in employment taxes. The indictment also alleges that, between 2014 and 2018, Fisher failed to file and pay his individual income taxes.   

The IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the charges with assistance from the Illinois Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Moody is representing the government in the prosecution

The maximum penalty for each of the sixteen counts of failure to pay employment tax is five years in prison, up to $10,000 in fines, or both. The maximum penalty for each of the five counts of failure to pay individual income tax is up to one year in prison, up to $25,000 in fines, or both.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning its guilty verdicts this afternoon against Jeffrey M. West, 53, of the 1300 block of S. Third St., Mattoon, Ill., for the seven counts charged: two counts of sexual exploitation of minors; two counts of commission of the offense by a registered sex offender; two counts of receiving child pornography; and, one count of possession of child pornography.

Sentencing for West has been scheduled for Sept. 13, 2021, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm. West faces statutory penalties of 25 to 50 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor plus consecutive terms of 10 years in prison for each of the two counts of commission of the offense as a registered sex offender. West has a prior conviction in Coles County for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 10-year-old female and a 4-year-old male.

Over two days of testimony this week, the government presented evidence to establish that West was identified when a minor disclosed that West had sexually abused him in 2019. During the subsequent investigation, computer forensic analysis showed that West had collected more than 1000 images and videos of child pornography, including sexually explicit depictions of infants and prepubescent minors, which were found on multiple devices in his home and at his business, West Side Motors, in Mattoon.

In addition, the government’s evidence showed that West used the video-chatting website Omegle to entice and coerce multiple unidentified minor males to engage in sexually explicit conduct which he captured for his collection. According to testimony from an FBI expert, Omegle’s website warns its users about predatory behavior because the website provides anonymity features that are often used by individuals with a sexual interest in children.

West was arrested on May 24, 2019, in Mattoon, Ill., on state charges, but was released on bond. On Sept. 4, 2019, a federal grand jury charged West by indictment and he was arrested on the federal charges. On Sept. 16, 2019, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that West be detained pending trial. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Mattoon Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Coles County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly Peirson and Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the government at trial.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.