Details on the Guilty Plea by Martin Sandoval, the Former Illinois State Senator, on Federal Bribery and Tax Offense Charges

Former Illinois State Senator Marin Sandoval

Former Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to bribery and tax offenses included in an information filed in federal court.

Sandoval, 56, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, and one count of willfully filing a false income tax return, which is punishable by up to three years. As part of a plea agreement, Sandoval has agreed to fully and truthfully cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The government requested that Sandoval’s sentencing be delayed until his cooperation is complete. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood did not immediately set a sentencing date.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Andrea Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Stetler and James P. Durkin.

Sandoval admitted in the plea agreement that he solicited and accepted financial and other benefits from an individual affiliated with a Chicago-area red-light camera company, in return for Sandoval using his official position as a state senator to block legislation harmful to the red-light-camera industry. Sandoval also admitted that he engaged in corrupt activities with other public officials and accepted money from other individuals in return for using his official position to attempt to benefit those individuals and their business interests. Sandoval admitted accepting more than $250,000 in bribes as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.

In addition to the bribery, Sandoval admitted that he willfully caused his accountant to file income tax returns that Sandoval knew underrepresented his income for the calendar years 2012 through 2017. Sandoval admitted in the plea agreement that his tax offenses caused a total loss to the IRS of at least $72,441, and a loss to the Illinois Department of Revenue of at least $13,384.38, which he has agreed to pay.

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Did the Gambino Crime Family Hire a Mafia Ninja to Stalk Jeffery Epstein?

Jeffery Epstein told police that a man dressed in traditional ninja garb was stalking him during his house arrest. This man was also in the mafia and had ties to the Gambino crime family according to Epstein and his lawyer.

Documents obtained by The Sun reveal that Epstein's lawyer shared this information in a letter to the State's Attorney's Office while asking to modify his client's probation.

Jack Goldberger said that Epstein's security "intercepted a person who was dressed in black like a ninja and hiding in some bushes." The security guards then chased down the man to his car and take down his license details, explained Goldberger. A search of that info then allegedly revealed that man was in the mafia and had strong ties to the Gambino crime family.

The State's Attorney's office sent a measured reply to Goldberger while fuming about the fact that he would even ask to have Epstein's sentence modified in internal emails. In one of these emails, a member of the office states that Epstein got "the deal of the century."

Goldberger was also the man behind the biography of Epstein that was sent to officials during negotiations for that plea deal. Included in that was a testimonial from Ghislaine Maxwell, among others. "My experience of Jeffrey, is of a thoughtful, kind generous loving man, with a keen sense of humor and a ready smile - a man of principles and values and a man of his word," Ghislaine is quoted as saying in a document obtained by The Sun. "If he made a promise, he would always follow through. In fact, I never saw him break a promise."

This testimonial was included in a 15-page biography of Epstein that was sent to Alex Acosta, who was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida at the time.

"He is disciplined in business and conscientious," said Ghislaine, at a time when over 40 minors had come forward with allegations of sexual abuse. "A man always quick to help someone who is down, or to offer an opportunity to someone to pursue a dream or a goal."

The testimonial seemed to work in the end, and Epstein managed to get off with what a member of the State's Attorney's office called "the deal of the century."

Ghislaine was never seen with Epstein after he made his plea deal, but was remained a fixture on the New York social scene. That all changed in 2015 when she was sued by Virginia Roberts for defamation after denying claims of sexual abuse. She then went completely off the map earlier this year following Epstein's latest arrest, and has not been seen in months.

Twelve years after that case, many of the victims are still seeking closure and have pursued lawsuits against the pedophile, who took his own life in August. Those women are now getting a helping hand too from officials at the island territory where a number of them suffered their alleged abuse.

Epstein's estate is being sued by multiple women as well as the Virgin Islands, with the latter hoping to seize or force the sale of his two island properties and other holdings in the US territory.

Thanks to Chris Spargo.

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The @NBA All-Star Game Expected to Increase Human Trafficking Activity in Chicago #NoRoomforTrafficking

On Friday, January 31, hotel industry officials, lawmakers, local partners, and leading experts are joining forces in Chicago during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month to rally against human trafficking ahead of the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. Large events, such as the NBA All-Star game, can lead to increased instances of human trafficking activity due to an influx of visitors traveling to a particular location for a short period of time.

As part of the No Room for Trafficking campaign,  The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) are convening Governor J.B. Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, state lawmakers and local hoteliers to expand on nationwide efforts. The event will feature a panel exploring the importance of coordination with law enforcement to eradicate exploitation as well as a training session hosted by ECPAT-USA for local hotel employees hosted at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.

WHO:

• Governor J.B. Pritzker
• Attorney General Kwame Raoul
• Mayor Lori Lightfoot
• State Representative Terra Costa-Howard
• AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers
• IHLA President & CEO Michael Jacobson
• AAHOA President & CEO Cecil Staton

WHEN:  Friday, January 31, 2020 at 9:00AM CST

WHERE: Sheraton Grand Chicago - 301 E North Water St, Chicago, IL 60611

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Top 10 Criminal Crime Groups of 2019

Top 10 Criminal Crime Groups of 2019 (Click on Map to Enlarge)

GameChangers 2019: Latin America’s Top 10 Criminal Groups.

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The Making of the Mob: Chicago - Discover the Rise and Fall of Infamous Gangster Al Capone as He and His Successors in the Chicago Outfit Dominate the Chicago Underworld.

The Making of the Mob: Chicago, is an eight-episode docu-drama chronicling the rise and fall of iconic gangster Al Capone, as well as the story of his successors, collectively known as “The Chicago Outfit.”

Spanning the better part of a century, the series begins with Capone’s early days in New York and continues through his move to Chicago - to work with his childhood mentor in the underworld.

When Prohibition hits, battles break out as the city’s gangs rush to set up bootlegging operations and Capone decides to go up against his rivals.

As he consolidates power, he achieves legendary status for his ruthless tactics and over-the-top lifestyle that attracts the wrath of President Herbert Hoover.

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