Former Alorton Mayor Sentenced to Federal Prison

The former mayor for the village of Alorton was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison, $1,200 in fines, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to reimburse the Federal Bureau of Investigation $1,260 for investigative expenses, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Randy McCallum, Sr., 44, pled guilty in U.S. District Court on February 24, 2012, to attempted possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance (crack cocaine), theft or conversion of government property, attempting to smuggle contraband into a correctional facility that houses inmates pursuant to an agreement with the attorney general, and making false statements to federal law enforcement officers. This prosecution was part of an ongoing investigation into public corruption in the Metro-East area.

The charges alleged that an Alorton police officer who was working in an undercover capacity with federal authorities was approached by Alorton officials and advised to use his position as a police officer to “pull some licks,” meaning to steal money and drugs from arrestees.

Based upon that information, the Illinois State Police (ISP) provided an undercover officer from another geographic location to participate in a sting operation on June 15, 2011. Agents surveilled McCallum and verified his location. Then, the undercover ISP officer drove just past the building where McCallum was known to be present. At that time, the Alorton officer activated his/her emergency lights and conducted an entirely staged traffic stop. McCallum came outside the building and watched the traffic stop, where the officer placed the driver in handcuffs, searched him, seized evidence, and then subsequently released the driver with no charges.

McCallum called the officer immediately after the traffic stop ended and asked what happened. In a recorded conversation, the officer told McCallum that the vehicle smelled of marijuana and that the driver claimed to be from the Chicago area. Additionally, the officer said that the driver admitted to being wanted on warrants, and that the driver begged him/her not to take him to jail, asking the officer to just keep the money seized from the driver’s pockets in return for not arresting him. The officer showed McCallum $2,060 of United States currency, and McCallum asked if they could split the money. They shared the money and McCallum used a portion to make personal purchases the next day.

On July 19, 2011, the undercover officer approached McCallum and showed him $470 and 13 grams of an off-white chunky substance that was made to resemble crack cocaine. McCallum asked the officer where it came from, and the officer responded that it had been seized during a traffic stop of a Missouri resident who was driving through an Alorton public housing project. The officer stated that he/she took the money and drugs but let the driver go. McCallum took $200 and all of the drugs. McCallum advised that he would get the drugs on the street by Friday; and that he would pay the officer $100 after it was sold. In reality, the substance was not actually crack cocaine but was a look-alike substance that was created by federal agents for the purpose of conducting the sting. McCallum called the officer in the early morning hours of the next day to complain that he had given the substance to an individual but that it would not burn.

On September 20, 2011, federal agents met with Mayor McCallum for the purpose of interviewing him about acts of public corruption occurring within the Village of Alorton. After questioning McCallum about unrelated acts of misconduct, federal agents questioned McCallum about whether he had any knowledge of any police officers taking money or drugs while on duty. McCallum falsely stated that he was unaware of any officers taking money or drugs from individuals.

In addition to being employed as a Village of Alorton police officer, the undercover officer was also employed as a full-time correctional officer in the St. Clair County Jail. During the time period of April-May, 2011, former Mayor McCallum had conversations with the officer about his/her willingness to bring items into the jail for a particular inmate. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department agreed to cooperate in the investigation, and during April-August, 2011, McCallum provided food and cigarettes to the particular inmate on a number of occasions. On December 12, 2011, while located in the Mayor’s home, Randy McCallum, Sr. gave the officer a pack of cigarettes and a “blunt” (a cigar filled with marijuana) to smuggle into the St. Clair County Jail for the inmate.

On January 7, 2012, federal agents served search warrants at Alorton Village Hall as well as at McCallum’s home. When interviewed, McCallum denied wrongdoing and told the media that he was “clean as a whistle.”

U.S. Attorney Wigginton remarked, “It is unimaginable that a sitting mayor would attempt to introduce cocaine into the very community he has sworn to protect.” Wigginton noted that he has dedicated additional staff and resources to further the campaign against public corruption, stating, “I will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of those who pervert the administration of justice by using public office for their own personal gain. Corrupt politicians and corrupt cops should be on notice—we will come for you.”

The investigation was conducted through the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force by agents from the Internal Revenue Service, the Illinois State Police, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven D. Weinhoeft and Norman R. Smith.

Two Men Charged in Separate Federal Child Pornography Indictments

ROCKFORD—Two men were indicted today by a federal grand jury for allegedly transporting and possessing child pornography. Jason Nicoson, 34, of Roscoe, Illinois, and John Carlson, 37, of Algonquin, Illinois, were each charged in separate cases with two counts of transporting child pornography via the Internet and one count of possessing child pornography that had crossed state lines.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum potential sentence on each count of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, the actual sentence will be determined by a United States District Court Judge, guided by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The indictments were announced today by Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Algonquin Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce assisted in the investigations. The government is represented in each case by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Love.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

An East St. Louis man, Casey M. Rigsby, 20, was sentenced in United States District Court, East St. Louis, for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon, to the maximum statutory term of 120 months (10 years) in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Rigsby was also ordered to pay a $250 fine, a $100 special assessment, and to serve three years’ supervised release following imprisonment (also the maximum term of supervised release available). There is no parole in the federal system. Rigsby has been in custody since his arrest on July 15, 2011.

“As the Court correctly recognized, this individual is a thoroughly dangerous and violent young man. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident. Hopefully, this sentence will not only affirm the effectiveness of the WAVE and our local law enforcement partners, but will serve to deter other young persons from taking up firearms,” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “For those reasons and more, I applaud the wisdom of the Court in passing the sentence that it did in this case,” he noted.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2011, Centreville police officers conducted a traffic stop on the driver of a car for disobeying a stop sign. The registration on the car was for a different vehicle. The driver acknowledged that his driver’s license was suspended and that he had no insurance, and that there was a warrant for his arrest. Officers asked the front seat passenger and the back seat passenger (Rigsby) to step out of the car. Rigsby attempted to use his foot to conceal a firearm under the seat. The officer recovered a Sig-Sauer, Model P220, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was loaded with seven live rounds in the magazine and one live round in the chamber.

Following his arrest, Rigsby admitted possession of the firearm and said he tried to conceal it because he is prohibited from possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He further stated that the front seat passenger was recently shot, and the front seat passenger and the driver were planning to show him the residence of the shooter. He admitted bringing the loaded firearm with him when he got in the car.

Rigsby has a prior felony conviction for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which occurred on August 3, 2010, in St. Clair County, Illinois.

The investigation of the case was handled by the Centreville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At Rigsby’s sentencing hearing today, members the FBI WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force testified regarding their dealings with Rigsby. The case agent also testified regarding information Rigsby provided about his criminal activities following his arrest.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November, 2009, and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gunrelated violence.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.

Gun in Deep Freeze Nets Cahokia Man Over Three Years in Federal Prison

A Cahokia man, Willie J. Fair, III, 24, was sentenced in United States District Court, East St. Louis, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, to 37 months in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Fair also was also ordered to pay a $200 fine, a $100 special assessment, and to serve three years’ supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Fair has been in custody since his arrest on January 23, 2012.

According to court documents, on November 30, 2011, members of the FBI WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force were patrolling East St. Louis, Illinois, and responded to a report involving the recovery of a stolen vehicle at the Orr Weathers Public Housing Complex and a potential suspect running into Building 21. Members of the task force knocked on an apartment door in Building 21, where they believed the suspect ran, and were met by Fair. During a search of the apartment, officers seized four firearms, magazines, and numerous rounds of ammunition. A Hi-Point .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol was recovered from a deep freezer. Fair, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, admitted he possessed the Hi-Point pistol and placed it in the deep freezer when law enforcement arrived. Another convicted felon in the apartment was arrested for possession of one of the other firearms. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 29, 2012. The Hi-Point pistol functioned as designed.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November 2009 and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police; the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI); the East St. Louis Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gunrelated violence.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey. Steven Lupa, a law student, assisted at the sentencing hearing.

Man Charged with Warehouse Theft Arrested in Miami

PEORIA, IL—A man charged by a federal grand jury with stealing more than $8 million in cigarettes from an East Peoria, Illinois warehouse in January 2010 was arrested this morning in Miami, Florida. The grand jury in Peoria charged Amed Villa, 46, a citizen of Cuba residing in Miami, in October 2010; however, the indictment had remained sealed pending the defendant’s arrest.

The indictment alleges that on January 24, 2010, Amed Villa took more than 3,500 cases of cigarettes, valued at more than $8 million, from a warehouse operated by Federal Warehouse in Tazewell County, Illinois.

In a separate case, Amed Villa is also charged with his brother, Amaury Villa, 37, in an indictment unsealed today in the District of Connecticut, with conspiracy and theft charges related to their alleged participation in the theft of approximately $80 million in pharmaceuticals from an Eli Lilly Company warehouse and storage facility in Enfield, Connecticut in March 2010. Amaury Villa has been indicted in the Southern District of Florida with 10 others related to the sale and distribution of goods stolen from warehouses and tractor-trailers across the United States.

Amed Villa is scheduled to appear in federal court in Miami next week. A removal hearing is scheduled on May 17 to determine whether the defendant may be removed to the Central District of Illinois.

If convicted, theft from an interstate shipment carries a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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

The charges in the Central District of Illinois were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Peoria Police Department, Morton Police Department, and the Illinois State Police. In the Central District of Illinois, the government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tate Chambers.

Federal Grand Jury Charges Six Individuals with Methamphetamine Manufacturing Conspiracy

URBANA, IL—A federal grand jury today returned an indictment that charges six individuals with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess methamphetamine in Central Illinois, in Coles and Macon Counties.

Those charged include four men: Deandre D. Haynes, a.k.a “Dre,” 22, of Chicago; David A. Haynes, a.k.a “Rico,” a.k.a “Milk,” 31, of Decatur; Zachary D. Gordon, a.k.a “Z,” 29, of Shelbyville; and Jerry D. Dice, 48, currently in custody at the Illinois Department of Corrections; and two women: Jennifer L. McCullough, 37, of Belleville; and Casey Coombs, 26, of Shelbyville, Illinois.

The one-count indictment alleges that from April 2011 to at least March 5, 2012, in Coles and Macon Counties, Illinois, the six defendants participated in a conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Deandre Haynes, David Haynes, Gordon, and McCullough were previously charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on March 2, 2012. Deandre Haynes was released on bond; David Haynes was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service; Gordon waived detention hearing and is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service; and McCullough was released on bond. Dice is currently in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. A summons will be issued for Coombs to appear in federal court in Urbana on a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for the offense is a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison; if a defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, the statutory penalty is 20 years to life in prison.

The charge is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the East Central Illinois Task Force; the Coles County Sheriff’s Office; the Eastern Illinois Safe Streets Task Force; and the Illinois State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson.

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