ST. CLAIR CO., Ill. - Remember this gal?
JoAnn Reed
That's JoAnn Reed. The obnoxious former mayor of Alorton, Illinois, whose charming mugshot which features her wildly-coiffed hair was obtained after she was alleged to have smuggled contraband into jail. Or maybe before; she had to have been in jail for something, after all. Actually, somewhere in there is how she lost her mayor gig.
Anyway, JoAnn's now indicted. Press information indicates that Reed is charged with two different crimes: buying votes and disregard of election code. Reed is alleged to have bought votes on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 this year in St. Clair County. With money. That's right; a special agent claims Reed knowingly gave or promised to give money in exchange for voting a certain way on a certain candidate or position in an election, which act is a Class 4 felony in Illinois.
Reed is also accused of "knowingly committing an act that is declared unlawful." Court documents state that Reed engaged in Electioneering, or soliciting votes or engaging in political discussion within 100 feet of a polling place. That's a misdemeanor
She's being held on $10,000 cash bond.
And she's not the only one.
East St. Louis board member Michael Roberts, 70, has been charged with Official Misconduct after allegedly using township funds for trip to Las Vegas for Roberts and his wife a year ago.
East St. Louis township trustee Edith Moore, 69, has been charged with Forgery of an Email and Prevention of Voting, the former after she delivered a document to the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk she knew had been altered to make it false, the latter after it was alleged that she simply prevented another person from voting.
Alorton police officer Teanna Gillespie is charged with a violation or FOID and weapons statutes, after her FOID card was revoked following her being a patient in a mental institution, and she had in her possession a Smith & Wesson .40-cal handgun.
East St. Louis City council person and ESL township contractor June Hamilton Dean, 53, has been charged with Public Contractor Misconduct and Forgery, after allegedly forging documents regarding the employment status of a RaeShaunta S. Lacy, 45, of Swansea. Ms. Lacy, who also goes by Reashaunta and Raesha, has herself been charged - with Forgery, in which it's alleged that she knowingly provided false information to McDonald Homes, a manufactured house company in Swansea.
Washington Park auxiliary officer Anthony L. Davis, 25, of Cahokia, has been charged with Official Misconduct after allegedly furnishing false information about a patrol car accident. He was an auxiliary, so why he had a patrol car isn't clear at this time.
U.S. Postal Service worker Christopher Malone, 41, of Swansea, has been charged with Theft of Government Property, this allegedly occurring at five USPS branches in ESL, St. Clair County and three other locations. Other than "government property and money," what it was he was alleged to have stolen wasn't listed in press material.
St. Clair County board of review member Michael P. Crockett Jr., 55, of Millstadt, has been charged with Bribery and Failure to Report a Bribe, this after it was alleged that he accepted cash to reduce taxes on two commercial properties on Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia, and Official Misconduct and Forgery for falsifying an assessment of the same property.
All the indictments were announced Monday; seven were arrested on that day (it's not clear which one or ones weren't.)
You'll remember that the Edgar County Watchdogs were called over to Cahokia earlier this year after concerned citizens were asking what on earth several of the public officials were doing with public funds.
Now we know (allegedly, of course) what the big problem was with the Cahokian public officials when the Watchdogs - considered "outsiders" - showed up at the meetings....something that ALWAYS should send up red flags, if the boards/councils/committees etc have a pucker factor when someone "they don't know" shows up at a PUBLIC meeting.
Every taxpayer has to pay taxes in to a minimum of eleven taxing bodies, a ridiculous amount, in Illinois. For every taxing entity, you can bet there's at least ONE person with his or her hand either in the till, taking advantage of perks, or something that effectively is fraud, waste or abuse. The culture of corruption in Illinois is over and above anywhere else in the country, we're beginning to believe. The complacency of the public - blindly trusting those running for and attaining public office - is largely to blame...which means folks need to get interested in what's going on, attend meetings, get involved. Otherwise, people are going to continue to run roughshod over the trusting. We're creating our own problems here, folks.
It's time to uncreate it.