As predicted, Walter Dortez Hill, the former East St. Louis deputy liquor commissioner, under Mayor Alvin Parks, has finally pleaded guilty (in federal court) to attempted extortion and lying to the FBI and IRS.
Hill, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced at 10:00a.m. on September 28 by U.S. District Judge Michael Reagan.
The plea was entered on June 16 before U.S. District Judge Donald Wilkerson with Hill sporting a new, shorter, haircut versus his previous dreadlocked hair style and a dark pin-striped suit.
Also noticeable was Hill’s upscale legal representation in the person of two lawyers from criminal defense attorney Scott Rosenblum’s law firm.
The indictment goes into great detail describing how Hill systematically conducted a shakedown of an undocumented Jordanian liquor store owner referred to as “Omar” in the indictment.
Hill initially asked for $5,000 (from Omar) in exchange for allowing him to stay in business. However that, apparently, wasn’t enough for the greedy liquor official.
He (Hill) also proceeded to shakedown the same man for $2,080 for a liquor license which, ordinarily, would have only cost $700, depositing the remaining $1,380 in his sock.
Unbeknownst to Hill, Omar had contacted the feds, who equipped the liquor store with surveillance equipment, as well as provided the funds for the requested extortion payments.
Hill eventually fell into the trap, sending a surrogate referred to as “Albert”, in the indictment, to collect payments for Hill, all captured through electronic surveillance.
But it didn’t end there. Hill even attempted, following the condemnation of Omar’s establishment, to persuade him to buy another building, at an inflated rate, as well as pay him a 20 percent share of the profits from the new store.
Mayor Alvin Parks, always quick to state the obvious, was quoted by the Belleville News-Democrat as remarking that he wasn’t surprised by Hill’s pleas and that “Mr. Hill probably looked at the situation and determined he probably had some guilt, and rather than go through a long drawn-out trial, it was better to say he was guilty.”
Parks even went on about how he always lectured Hill about integrity, keeping his nose clean, doing the right thing …blah, blah, blah.
Oh really, Mayor Parks? What about your lack of supervision of Hill? How about your own admission, following Hill’s indictment, that you had received a number of complaints regarding Hill’s alleged strong-arming of liquor license recipients, yet did nothing?
After all, as mayor, you were the liquor commissioner and Hill (at the time) was only the deputy liquor commissioner. That begs the question of why didn’t you do a better job of monitoring your direct report in such a key role?
Also, it’s astonishing that Mayor Parks professes to be psychic enough to know Hill’s thinking (in copping a guilty plea) yet was completely oblivious to Hill’s thievery, which took place right under his nose.
Now I have a theory (and I’m just thinking out loud here) but how does Walter Hill afford the legal representation of an attorney like Scott Rosenblum?
For those of you who don’t know, Scott Rosenblum is the area’s premier criminal defense attorney. He’s been selected as one of Missouri and Kansas’ “Super Lawyers” from 2005-2009.
Rosenblum’s high-end clientele have included professional athletes such as Marshall Faulk, other Rams players and coaches and celebrities.
Walter Hill didn’t and doesn’t have the means (like a Marshall Faulk, pro athletes, etc.) to pay for Rosenblum’s custom made Italian suits and imported cars.
Nor did it take Hill nearly an entire year to simply plead “guilty”. That’s not Rosenblum’s style. Scott Rosenblum has a reputation for preventing criminals from going to prison or, worst case scenario, severely reducing time served in the penitentiary.
Walter Hill is looking at maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, restitution and three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney A. Courtney Cox.
Mind you, this scoundrel has, admittedly, lied to the FBI, the IRS and attempted “to solicit and obtain money and property that were not due him or his office from liquor license holders in East St. Louis that included cash, liquor and requests for sexual favors,” according to U.S. Attorney Cox.
So, who would be generous enough to pay for such expensive legal representation (for Hill) since he’s obviously broke? My theory is that it would have to be someone with the financial means and who, also, wants to keep their own derriere out of the fire. Any ideas?
It would also be nice if Hill were promised a little financial reward (upon release from prison), in exchange for falling on the sword and going off quietly to prison.
That’s just my theory. Maybe I have a vivid imagination or just maybe I know the type of political scum that ESL seems to breed; especially those (and their families) who masquerade as reputable, upstanding politicians and civic “do-gooders”.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com