Tagged: fraud

A federal appeals court has reinstated the wire fraud conviction of a former supervisor for the Illinois secretary of state's office.

Cecil Turner was convicted on four counts of wire fraud in 2006 for covering up a scheme in which three janitors were paid for hours they didn't work.

Turner did not take any illegal money. He was convicted on the legal theory that he denied taxpayers the honest services they deserved.

The U.S. Supreme Court later narrowed the scope of "honest services" violations, and Turner's conviction was reversed.

Nineteen residents of the Metro East and southern Illinois have been charged with stealing money from the state and federal unemployment insurance programs.

The 12 men and 7 women are accused of stealing a total of $368,000 in benefits. Two of those charged were incarcerated while receiving benefits, and 17 others were employed.