Jail time and more theft in city government
Just when there’s hope for reform in ESL politics, more criminality is revealed, and right under the very noses of the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority (FAA), City Treasurer Charlotte Moore and Community Development Block Grant Corp. Executive Director Diane Bonner.
According to accounts, over $200,000 in federal funds (intended for the rehab of ESL homes) were diverted to the private credit union account of a high-ranking Community Development Block Grant Corp. employee.
The City Treasurer became aware of the theft when a former Community Development Block Grant Corp. employee recently tipped her off.
Moore, in turn, notified federal agents, who seized financial records from the treasurer’s office.
Ken Gearhart, executive director of the FAA, admitted that the checks came through his panel (as well as other city departments) without suspicion. Former City Manager Alvin Parks reportedly signed one of the checks in the amount of $4,999.
Now Gearhart as well as Interim City Manager Tina Phillips are scrambling to tweak internal controls in an effort to avoid such future embarrassments.
Ironically enough, Community Development Block Grant Operations Corp. assumed control of the ESL housing program (back in 1991) because the feds felt that they couldn’t trust ESL to properly handle federal dollars.
Thank God for whistle-blowers, for without the tip-off to the ESL city treasurer only God knows how long and how much this unnamed thief would have continued to rip-off the poor, deserving citizens of ESL.
All of this after a week of hope, in which slumlord Phil Cohn was sentenced to five years (federal time) on charges of mail fraud, money laundering and violating the federal Clean Air Act.
This resulted, according to U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, from Cohn’s bribery of ESL politicians and officials in exchange for receiving tax increment finance (TIF) grants.
Cohn proceeded to steal (with a little help from his “friends”) $357,200 from an escrow account, which was established to pay for the cleanup of the future site of the new Clark Middle School.
Cohn has agreed to cooperate fully with federal authorities, which should provide a few extra fireworks for the upcoming trials of indicted ESL officials Kelvin Ellis and Charlie Powell (business associates of Cohn’s) scheduled for later this summer.
So, as one scandal concludes another is revealed, begging the question: who’s REALLY watching the store in ESL?
To heck with Star Wars III. I’m taking my popcorn and Kool Aid to the courthouse. Folks, it’s going to be a long, suspenseful summer, legally, in East Boogie!
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.