ALORTON, Ill. - There are just some places that bleed abject corruption onto the populace they supposedly serve.
Most of the part of Illinois that encompasses what we call the Metro-East (Madison/Bond/St. Clair counties) is rife with it.
Earlier, we brought you the bizarre tale of Jo Ann Reed.
Now comes anther Alorton PO, Lamar Gentry.
Exactly one year ago, on September 19, 2017, the Task Force first became involved in the investigation that would eventually lead to Gentry’s arrest. At the time, police officers in St. Louis were investigating reports that gun shots had been fired from a white Chevrolet Impala.
During an interview on October 13, 2017, Gentry told federal agents that the white Impala had previously been sold and partially paid for by the purchaser, when in fact he knew that the vehicle had not been partially paid for, there was no completed bill of sale and the vehicle had not been sold.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.