Latest news with #Attorney'sOffice
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Gilbert Arenas, former NBA star, arrested for running illegal gambling ring
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas and five other people, including "a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group," were arrested Wednesday, July 30 on a federal indictment alleging they operated an illegal gambling business in Encino, California, according the U.S. Department of Justice's Attorney's Office, Central District of California. Arenas, 43, is charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. Also charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of operating an illegal gambling business: According to the indictment that was unsealed Wednesday, July 30, Arenas and the other defendants "operated an illegal gambling business. Arenas rented out an Encino mansion he owned for the purpose of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games. At Arenas' direction, Arthur Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, staged the mansion to host the games, found co-conspirators to host the games, and collected rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas' behalf. "Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen managed illegal 'Pot Limit Omaha' poker games, among other illegal games, at the Encino mansion, collected a 'rake' – a fee the house charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand – and invited players to compete. "Gershman hired young women who, in exchange for tips, served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to the poker players. The women were charged a 'tax' – a percentage of their earnings from working the games. Chefs, valets, and armed security guards also were hired to staff these illegal poker games." Gershman and Valentina Cojocari, 35, are also charged with three additional counts: conspiracy to commit marriage fraud; marriage fraud; and making a false statement on an immigration document. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count. Arenas spent 11 seasons in the NBA, including seven-plus seasons with the Washington Wizards. He was a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection. In the 2009-10 season, it was discovered Arenas had brought guns into the Wizards locker room and had an alteracation with then-teammate Javaris Crittenton involing firearms in the locker room. The NBA suspended both players indefinitely, and Arenas ended up serving a 50-game suspension.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Quirk in SAFE-T Act muddles death of Antioch woman
It was Winston Churchill who pointed out decades ago: 'A lie gets halfway around the world before truth gets its pants on.' A Lake County judge last week unfortunately found the British statesman's thoughts to be true. This after she followed the guidelines of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Jan. 22, 2021. Associate Circuit Court Judge Randie Bruno was condemned in national media reports last week for releasing a Waukegan man charged with letting the corpse of an Antioch woman rot in his garbage bin for several weeks. 'Significant threats and harassment', authorities said, were forthcoming from morons who either don't know Illinois law, believed incorrect reporting or casually decided to ignore what are considered to be jailable offenses here. Authorities are investigating the threats for the judge's lawful actions in the first-appearance hearing of Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, who has been charged with concealing the death, among other charges, of Megan Bos, 37. Yet, the damage was done after a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said, 'It is absolutely repulsive this monster walked free on Illinois' streets after allegedly committing such a heinous crime.' This came after federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picked up Mendoza-Gonzalez, an immigrant from Mexico, for being a 'criminal illegal alien.' He's scheduled to be deported, although the Lake County State's Attorney's Office is seeking to keep him in the U.S. to prosecute him for the Bos charges. While the alleged crimes are indeed gruesome and would seem to be enough to put an individual in jail until trial, they surprisingly don't fall under the guidelines of the SAFE-T Act. In this instance, the act required the judge to release the defendant until trial. Five years old, the law's effectiveness is still being debated, especially in the case of Megan Bos, whose cause of death remains under investigation. We need to remember the SAFE-T Act, pushed by the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature, ended cash bail in the state, undercutting judicial discretion and stripping judges of the authority to determine either to jail alleged criminals before trial or set bond to allow them to roam free until their days in court. The law prohibits Illinois judges from independently initiating detention proceedings, regardless of the case or circumstances before them. That's an important consideration, obviously overlooked by detractors of Judge Bruno. In Lake County, State's Attorney Eric Rinehart campaigned heartily in favor of the act. It has seemed to work here until it doesn't due to quirks in the law. A statement issued July 22 from the office of Lake County Circuit Court Chief Judge Daniel Shanes spelled out the foibles in the SAFE-T Act. It notes that the charges in the death of Bos, which include abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice, are excluded in the law. As such, it 'forbids the court from holding an individual charged with the offenses against this defendant in jail prior to trial.' The legal community agrees that the SAFE-T Act created one of the most restrictive procedures in the nation for determining whether a person charged with a crime can be detained in jail before trial. Instead, according to the judicial statement, the act requires criminal defendants be released before trial unless a state's attorney's office charges them with certain detainable offenses specified by the statute, and a petition is filed seeking to detain defendants. In December 2024, the Illinois Judges Association issued a statement clarifying aspects of the SAFE-T Act: 'Judges must make detention decisions within the framework of the law.' In the case of Mendoza-Gonzalez, the State's Attorney's Office did not file a petition seeking to jail him because the charges weren't detainable. Bruno, an experienced jurist and former assistant state's attorney, placed him on pretrial release with conditions, including reporting to pretrial services and not leaving Illinois. 'Disinformation undermines our Republic,' the judicial statement from the chief judge's office said. 'Threats of violence and intimidation against judges weaken our democracy. Knowing what happens in court and understanding the law are essential to public trust.' So true. It's a sad America when judges receive threats for doing their jobs as quacks ignore what the law spells out. Wonder how many of these online threats come from Illinois residents? If they are Illinoisans, who should be familiar with the SAFE-T Act, they are targeting the wrong public official. They need to direct their ire at their legislative representatives who adopted the law.
International Business Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- International Business Times
Former Illinois GOP Senate Candidate Tried to Get Husband Murdered After Learning About Long-Distance Lover's Inheritance
New details have emerged over the arrest of a former Illinois GOP Senate candidate who tried to get her husband killed. Allison Salinas, 48, is charged with one count of Solicitation of Murder. Prosecutors filed a petition to detain Salinas on Thursday, following her arrest on Tuesday. Salinas ran as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois in 2021. According to court documents released by the Tazewell County State's Attorney's Office on Thursday, Salinas came under investigation this month after a Facebook video emerged, allegedly implicating her in the murder for hire plot. Salinas' Long-Distance Boyfriend Told Cops She Tried to Manipulate Him After Learning About His Inheritance, Told Him to Kill Her Husband Pekin Police were contacted in February of 2024 by James Turrentine of Dallas, TX, in reference to his relationship with Salinas. He told police that the pair had briefly dated in high-school, and struck up a long-distance relationship in 2021 after Salinas reached out to him. Turrentine told police that he felt Salinas attempted to manipulate him after she reportedly learned about an inheritance. He says Salinas also began discussing her desire to leave her husband, Patrick Salinas, without having to split assets. Allison had allegedly begun discussions of murdering Patrick in November or December of 2023, with Turrentine trying to deflect the conversations because she reportedly wanted Turrentine to kill Patrick for them to be together. When Turrentine Refused, She Tried to Solicit Another Person to Murder Her Husband Turrentine stated he made it known to Allison that he would not harm Patrick, at which point Allison allegedly sought another person to murder her husband. The conversations reportedly continued for several months, with Turrentine saying he became frustrated with the topic, and indicated that he could find someone to commit the murder in the hopes that Allison would drop it. Turrentine then told police that Allison would repeatedly ask if he found someone, then explained that he lied to her and told Allison the Secret Service contacted him about the murder for hire plot. He says the detailed conversations stopped, but Allison was asking if he had heard anything further, as recently as two weeks ago. Turrentine also indicated that he made the Facebook video post to draw attention to the issue. 'I Need You to Make this Happen' Turrentine provided to Pekin Police two recorded phone conversations with Allison between February and March of 2024. Allison allegedly discussed different ways to kill Patrick, with Turrentine suggesting to her that some old friends of his dad could do it. Allison allegedly stated to him that "I need you to make this happen." Screenshots of text messages between the pair were also given to Pekin Police. On May 27th, 2024, Allison allegedly started a conversation with a picture of her husband with a text message stating "There's ur pic u need." Turrentine replied with a thumbs up emoji, with Allison following up by texting "Can't talk, don't text back but please with everything I mean to you... Just take care of this." Court documents also reveal that Allison had allegedly sent Turrentine a screenshot on July 21st, 2024 of a Google search relating to spousal immunity in criminal cases. Allison Also Considered Sneaking Shellfish into Patricks Food Because He was Allergic to It Pekin Police had also interviewed Ashley Allen, a close friend of Allison's who lived with her in the fall of 2023. Allen told police that she was in the passenger's seat of a vehicle during a phone call between Allison and Turrentine, and hearing Allison allegedly discussing finding a "ghost" to murder Patrick, which she described as another term for a hitman. Allen also testified that Allison discussed sneaking shellfish into Patrick's food, which he is allergic to. Allison was interviewed by Pekin Police on Tuesday, and reportedly acknowledged that she had discussed Patrick's murder with Turrentine for an extended period. However, Allison maintained that she was not in a good mental state. She was asked by police about the conservations and admitted that there was no indication to Turrentine that she was not serious about the topics.
New York Post
02-07-2025
- New York Post
Husband of alleged perv teacher Christina Formella defiantly holds her hand for court, refuses to answer questions after wife accused of dozens of heinous sex crimes
WHEATON, Ill. — Alleged dirty teacher Christina Formella's husband defiantly held her hand as she swished into into court with him Wednesday morning — even after she was accused last month of sexually abused a teenage student more than 50 times. Neither Formella or her husband, Michael, answered any questions as they walked into the DuPage County Circuit Court in suburban Chicago. Michael Formella has accompanied his 30-year-old bride to court for each of her appearances so far. Christina Formella was given an ankle monitor last month when the charges against her were upgraded — but cleverly hid it with baggy black pants. Advertisement 4 Husband of accused dirty teacher Christina Formella holds her hand as they walk into court. LP Media 4 Teacher Christina Formella is accused of dozens of heinous sex crimes. CUCWSOC/X 4 Christina Formella faces dozens of charges. DuPage County State's Attorney's Office Last month, Formella was hit with 52 additional charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault. The former Downers Grove special education teacher was arrested in March and is accused of raping her teenage student at least 50 times — including at least 45 times at the school. Advertisement She and her husband are college sweethearts and married just last year, about six months after the alleged abuse. 4 Teacher Christina Formella is arrested in front of her home. DuPage County Sheriff Prosecutors say Formella told the boy that she would leave her husband and take him for millions. Michael Formella is the scion of a Chicagoland Italian good purveyor.
CBS News
27-06-2025
- CBS News
Addison teen charged with leading police on high-speed chase, possessing gun in Wood Dale, Illinois
A teen was ordered held after being charged with leading police on a high-speed chase while possessing a handgun in Wood Dale, Illinois, earlier this week, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office announced on Friday. Emmanuel Rivera, 18, of Addison, Illinois, was charged with two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding, one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, and multiple misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident involving damage and speeding over 35 miles per hour over the limit. Rivera appeared in court Thursday afternoon, where the judge granted the state's motion to deny his pre-trial release. On Tuesday, Wood Dale officers responded to a disturbance involving a white Nissan sedan in the 500 block of North Maple Avenue, just after 9 p.m. Shortly after, officers saw the Nissan heading northbound on Maple Avenue as it turned east onto Elmhurst Street. Officers in two separate squad cars activated their emergency lights and attempted to perform a traffic stop. The Nissan driver, later identified as Rivera, allegedly did not pull over, ignored a stop sign, and fled eastbound on Elmhurst Street, leading to a pursuit. It is further alleged that Rivera reached speeds of at least 60 miles per hour in a 20-mile-per-hour zone, the office said. After turning southbound on Route 83 from Elmhurst Street, he crashed into a median and disabled the Nissan. At that time, Rivera and multiple occupants allegedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot. During a search of the Nissan, officers found a Glock 27, sub-compact, .40 caliber firearm with one bullet in the chamber. Later that evening, officers identified Rivera as the driver. He turned himself in to the Wood Dale Police Department. He is due back in court on July 21.
