Federal bribery and tax offenses for former Illinois state senator

Former Illinois State Sen. Martin A. Sandoval has pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to bribery and tax offenses. These were included in the information filed in federal court Monday. The 56-year old of Chicago pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.

The ex-senator also pleaded to one count of willfully filing a false income tax return. The charge is punishable by up to three years. As part of a plea agreement, Sandoval has agreed to fully and truthfully cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The government has requested to keep Sandoval’s sentencing on delay until his cooperation is complete. His sentencing date has not been set by U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood.

John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Andrea Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General in Chicago announced the guilty plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Stetler and James P. Durkin are representing the government. Sandoval had solicited and accepted financial and other benefits from an individual affiliated with a Chicago-area red-light camera company. In exchange, Sandoval had used his official position as a state senator to block legislation harmful to the red-light-camera industry.

Sandoval also admitted that he was involved in corrupt activities with other public officials and exchanged favors for money using his official position to attempt to benefit those individuals and their business interests. Sandoval admitted accepting more than $250,000 in bribes as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.