Latest news with #SafeSpeedLLC
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Jury deadlocks in bribery trial of Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III; judge declares mistrial
A federal judge declared a mistrial Thursday afternoon in the bribery trial of Illinois state Sen Emil Jones III (D-Chicago), after jurors deadlocked on all three charges against him. Jones is accused of asking for a bribe to oppose legislation that would have required a statewide evaluation of red-light camera systems. Jurors deliberated for more than 24 hours over four days starting on Monday before telling U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on any of the three counts against him. Jones is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery, and lying to federal agents. After polling each juror about the impasse, Wood declared a mistrial in Jones' case. "I do think it's appropriate at this point to declare a mistrial. So that is what I will do," Wood said. It was not immediately clear if federal prosecutors would seek to retry him. Jones is accused of seeking $5,000 in campaign donations, and a job for a former intern at his district office from Omar Maani, the co-founder of red light camera company SafeSpeed LLC, in exchange for his help with legislation to protect the company's interests. Prosecutors have accused Jones of taking bribes in exchange for a promise to oppose legislation that would have required a statewide study of red light cameras. Maani, who was the star witness against Jones, believed the legislation would have hurt SafeSpeed. In exchange for a bribe, Jones said he would oppose the IDOT study on red-light camera systems outside of Chicago and limit such studies to the city, prosecutors said. According to the charges, Jones said if Maani contributed the $5,000 by sponsoring one of the senator's events, it would not have to be listed on Illinois campaign contribution reports. Maani was cooperating with the FBI investigation of Jones, and recorded their conversations, which were played for jurors at the trial. Jones testified in his own defense, and has denied ever agreeing to any deal with Maani, and only suggested a $5,000 donation to support community causes. He also testified his request for Maani to hire a former intern was a routine job recommendation that had nothing to do with red light camera legislation.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jurors hint at impasse in bribery trial of Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III
CHICAGO — Jurors on Wednesday told the judge overseeing the federal corruption trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III that they may be approaching a deadlock in their deliberations. In a note late in its second full day of talks, the panel wrote to U.S. Judge Andrea Wood that it may not be able to agree on two counts, those alleging bribery and lying to the FBI, respectively. 'It doesn't look like the jury can reach a unanimous agreement on counts one and three. Is there any assistance that can be provided,' the jury note read. In a separate note, the jury observed that count one states Jones agreed to accept a bribe and money for an associate and asked if it needs to find both of those things to be true along with other criteria to convict. The jury is expected to resume its work Thursday morning after further instructions from the judge. Jones allegedly agreed to help a red-light camera executive with legislation in Springfield in exchange for $5,000 and a part-time job for his former intern. The trial, now in its third week, featured testimony from the prolific FBI mole Omar Maani, a co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC who admitted to using steak dinners, cigars and cash payments to get his way on red-light camera legislation with politicians. Jones, federal prosecutors allege, was one of those officials— caught on wires laughing over Waygu filets and telling Maani he would 'protect' the company from a Republican opponent in the Illinois House of Representatives. Jones, 46, is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents. The most serious charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the others have a five-year maximum term. He is the first sitting member of the Illinois General Assembly to stand trial in almost a decade. Jones' lawyers have argued that the senator, who continues to represent the far South Side and south suburban 14th District, was 'in the way' of an expansive net of other legislators on the take. They contend that Jones met with Maani at the behest of admittedly corrupt state Sen. Martin Sandoval to try and get a stubborn bill out of committee and that he was in fact trying to distance himself from Maani. Jurors began deliberating late in the day Monday, following nine days of testimony and arguments. On their first full day of deliberations, they sent several notes to Judge Wood inquiring, among other things, whether they should consider the crime of bribery to have been committed the moment an official agrees to a deal or whether that official's later actions should influence their decision. Shortly before jurors were left Tuesday, Wood instructed them that 'the crime of bribery as charged in Count 1 has been committed at the time the defendant solicits, agrees to accept or accepts the thing of value, so long as all the other elements of the crime are satisfied at that point in time.' Several members of Jones' family have been present for most of the trial, including Former Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who handed off his seat to the younger Jones in 2009. Jones testified on direct examination that he 'always wanted to be a state senator' and held a series of jobs with the state before deciding to run in 2008. Prosecutors sought to poke holes in Jones' narrative of his career on cross-examination, pointing out that the elder Jones orchestrated his son's taking his seat in the Senate. The jury also heard testimony that Jones had provided information about numerous individuals to the FBI and identified photographs of people he dealt with, including 'an executive at an organization' that hired one of Jones' relatives after he'd helped get them funding. Jones was asked to wear a wire for an investigation into Roseland Community Hospital but ultimately did not end up cooperating, he testified. He has maintained that he decided to fight the charges 'because I knew I didn't do nothing wrong and I had nothing to hide.' Wood asked lawyers for Jones and the government to reconvene at 8:45 a.m. Thursday to agree on an answer for the jurors' question about whether Jones needed to accept one or both things of value to be found guilty of bribery. ____
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bribery vs. entrapment: Jury deliberating in trial of Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III
CHICAGO — The jury in the federal bribery trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III has begun its deliberations, starting its discussions at about 2:30 p.m. Monday. Before receiving the case, the jury was told Jones ignored 'screaming red flags' in entertaining a red-light camera company executive's ask for help with legislation in exchange for a promised $5,000 campaign contribution and a no-show job for his intern, federal prosecutors argued Monday. In arguments that capped the nine-day trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam asked jurors how Jones allegedly changed his views on red-light camera legislation over the course of the summer of 2019. Jones had been handling it for years by the time he met red-light camera executive Omar Maani, Ardam said. How do we go from 'I can't give you that commitment' to 'I got, you, I got you?' she said. Ardam argued that it was the promised donation and a minimum-wage job for intern Chris Katz, negotiated over steak dinners and workshopped to avoid state reporting requirements, that made Jones pledge to 'protect' Maani's red-light camera company, SafeSpeed LLC, in the General Assembly and limit a proposed red-light camera study. 'Legislation and legislators should not be up for sale, for any price. That is a crime. ... That is why the defendant lied to the FBI when they came knocking at his door,' Ardam told the jury. 'The defendant knows this. He does not care,' she said. Jones' defense attorney Victor Henderson pitched the case to the jury as a David versus Goliath battle between the government and one man, arguing that federal investigators deployed Maani to try to entrap Jones into taking a bribe. Jones, Henderson said, never took a bribe and instead steered Maani toward contributing food for a legitimate campaign event. 'He doesn't go to Omar. They send Omar to him,' Henderson said of the FBI. Henderson told the jury that Maani was a con man who secretly recorded people to get himself out of trouble with the feds. He questioned why Maani didn't just give Jones an envelope of cash. 'If he's dirty, why not just give him the money?' Henderson said. Jones, a Chicago Democrat, is accused of soliciting $5,000 in campaign funding and a job for his former district office intern from Maani in exchange for Jones' help with legislation in Springfield. Jones, 46, whose father, Emil Jones Jr., led the state Senate for years before orchestrating to have his son replace him in 2009, is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents. The most serious charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the others have a five-year maximum term. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to push a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. Jones is the first sitting member of the state General Assembly to face trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse since then-state Rep. Derrick Smith was found guilty of bribery a decade ago. If convicted, Jones would be forced to resign under Illinois law and would almost certainly forfeit any future pension. At the heart of the case are a series of undercover videos made by Maani as he sat down at steakhouses in Oak Brook and Chicago with Jones as well as then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, the powerful and corrupt head of the Senate Transportation Committee who was taking cash payments from Maani in exchange for being SafeSpeed's protector in the General Assembly. Sandoval pleaded guilty to bribery charges and was cooperating with investigators when he died of COVID-19 complications in December 2020. One video, from a meeting between Jones and Maani in July 2019 at Steak 48 on North Wabash Avenue, showed Jones digging into his favorite Wagyu filet as Maani brought up Jones' upcoming fundraiser at Sox Park. 'How much money you want me to come up with?' Maani asked. 'You tell me a number.' Jones initially demurred, telling Maani no one had ever asked him that before. But Maani explained he was different, that he always wanted to meet expectations. 'You're already meeting expectations, Omar,' Jones said, cutting into his steak while a hidden camera sat somewhere on the table across from him. 'You're a good guy. I like you all's company a lot.' Then Jones dropped the number: 'If you can raise me five grand, that'd be good.' 'Done,' Maani replied quickly. Jones testified in his own defense last week that he said Maani reminded him of a 'used car salesman' and he was actually trying to blow him off. The internship request was nothing more than a routine job recommendation for a family friend and had no connection whatsoever to any red light camera legislation, Jones testified. When the FBI knocked on his door on the morning of Sept. 24, 2019, the same day they raided Sandoval's offices and several other locations, Jones said he chose to talk to the agents 'because I knew I didn't do nothing wrong and I had nothing to hide.' _____ (Tribune reporter Ray Long contributed to this report.) _____
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
State Sen. Emil Jones III to face cross-examination in bribery trial
Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III is expected to face a rigorous cross-examination Thursday in his trial on bribery charges alleging he agreed to accept campaign funds and a job for his former intern from a red light camera company executive in exchange for his help on legislation in Springfield. Jones, 46, is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents. The most serious charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the others have a five-year maximum term. Making a risky move to testify in his own defense, Jones has so far fielded friendly questions from his attorney as he blasted the government's star witness, SafeSpeed LLC co-founder Omar Maani, as a 'used car salesman' and tried to explain to jurors his statements on undercover recordings made by Maani that are at the heart of the case. Jones denied ever agreeing to any exchange with Maani, saying he didn't trust him and was merely suggesting he donate up to $5,000 to his campaign to support one of the senator's many community causes. Jones also testified that his request for Maani to hire his former intern to a $15-an-hour part-time job was a routine recommendation and had 'nothing to do with' any red light camera legislation. He also also had critical words for his now-deceased colleague, former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, describing the once-powerful head of the Senate Transportation Committee as 'kind of a bully.' Sandoval pleaded guilty to taking bribes from Maani in exchange for being SafeSpeed's 'protector' in the Senate and was cooperating with authorities when he died of COVID-19 complications in December 2020. Once the direct examination wraps up Thursday, Jones is expected to face hours of questions from federal prosecutors who will try to contrast Jones' own statements on the recordings with his courtroom testimony. Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolurri told the judge on Wednesday the cross could last up to four hours. Jones is the first sitting member of the state General Assembly to face trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse since then-state Rep. Derrick Smith was found guilty of bribery nearly a decade ago. If convicted, Jones would be forced to resign under Illinois law and would almost certainly forfeit any future pension. The trial, which began with jury selection April 7, had been slated to last only about a week but has moved slower than expected. U.S District Judge Andrea Wood said after the jury was sent home Wednesday that she hoped to have closing arguments either Friday or Monday, depending on Easter weekend schedules.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Sen. Emil Jones III will testify in his own defense at bribery trial
Democratic State Sen. Emil Jones III has decided to testify in his own defense of bribery charges alleging he solicited a $5,000 contribution and a job for his former intern from a red light camera company executive who was seeking the senator's help on legislation. Jones' decision to take the witness stand is risky, particularly for a sitting elected official facing high-stakes public corruption charges. But clearly the calculus of the defense team was that only Jones can put a different spin for the jury on statements he made on a series of undercover recordings at the heart of the case. His testimony is expected to begin at about 3:45 p.m. Earlier Tuesday, the jury heard Jones as he told FBI agents who knocked on his door in September 2019 that he never felt 'comfortable' talking to his longtime colleague, then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, particularly about a red light camera company executive who wanted to be his 'friend.' 'Because he's an intimidating guy, you know?' Jones said about Sandoval on the morning of Sept. 24, 2019, the day the FBI raided Sandoval's offices in Springfield along with more than a dozen other locations. 'And you hear rumors about him…that he's just shady.' In the recorded interview, which was played for the jury in Jones' bribery trial Tuesday, the agents pointed out Jones' claimed trepidation about Sandoval didn't stop him from sitting down for a steak dinner with Sandoval and Omar Maani, the co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC, to talk about how he could compensate Jones in exchange for his help on legislation in Springfield. Didn't Jones ask Maani specifically to raise $5,000 for his campaign? Didn't he ask Maani to hire his former intern? And didn't he offer to 'protect' SafeSpeed from state Rep. David McSweeney, a staunch opponent to red light cameras? When Jones seemed to downplay what he'd said, the agents, Timothy O'Brien and Nijika Rustagi, laid their cards on the table: They had video of the entire thing. 'I don't think it was as soft as that,' O'Brien warned Jones near the end of the 40-minute interview. 'I think it was a little more direct. I certainly have the video with me where (you) said: 'I'll make sure I'll take care of you guys with McSweeney…'.I'd be happy to play the video for you if you want.' Jones was also warned by Rustagi that everything he said could be used in the federal grand jury and that if he lied he could be charged. When Rustagi asked if Jones wanted to change any of his answers based on that, Jones declined. Then he joked: 'After watching Trump for the last two years, I understand.' On Tuesday afternoon, prosecutors rested their case against Jones after presenting five witnesses over five days of testimony. Jones, 46, whose father, Emil Jones Jr., led the state Senate for years before orchestrating to have his son replace him in 2009, is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents. The most serious charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the others have a five-year maximum term. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones' help with legislation in Springfield. Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. the charges alleged. Jones is the first sitting member of the state General Assembly to face trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in nearly a decade. If convicted, Jones would be forced to resign under Illinois law and would almost certainly forfeit any future pension. The roughly 40-minute interview played in its entirety Monday took place in Jones' living room and was recorded without Jones' knowledge, which O'Brien said was done in an effort to 'facilitate an honest and truthful conversation' with the senator. O'Brien testified Tuesday that when the interview concluded, he and his partner seized Jones' cell phone pursuant to a search warrant and made a digital copy at the FBI offices. Later that day, O'Brien went back to Jones' South Side home to return the phone. Jones answered the door, O'Brien testified, and as he took back the phone, he said 'something to the effect that he was chewed out by his dad and by his attorney for speaking to me.' Five months later, Jones came in for another interview at the IRS offices across from Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, O'Brien said. This time, he had a lawyer participating by phone, and the purpose was for Jones to come clean and begin cooperating with the investigation, O'Brien testified. Unlike in his previous interview, O'Brien said this time Jones was asked if he made any agreements with Omar Maani, 'He acknowledged that he requested a job for (his intern) as well as a campaign contribution in exchange for changing the legislation.' According to O'Brien, Jones admitted that he and Maani had specifically come up with the $5,000 figure at their July 2019 dinner, and that he knew the intern, Christopher Katz, was being paid even though Maani was not giving him work. O'Brien said the interview moved on to 'additional information' Jones may have 'related to other topics for investigations we had or potential investigations.' Jones was shown photos, made identifications 'and provided information about those individuals and others,' he said. Their next interview with Jones was in August 2021, when Jones had new attorneys, O'Brien testified. Jones continued to provide information unrelated to the facts of the SafeSpeed case, he said, though Jones was never considered to be 'actively' cooperating. Jones was charged a little over a year later via a criminal information, which typically indicates the defendant has an agreement with the U.S. attorney's office to plead guilty. Instead, Jones took the case to trial. jmeisner@
