A central Illinois state representative schemed to direct state grant money to her daughter, took kickbacks on bogus campaign expenses and lied to the FBI about it all, according to federal prosecutors.
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice, along with her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons. He faces an obstruction of justice charge for allegedly instructing a potential witness to “muddy the waters” for investigators tracing them.
Rep. Ammons’ indictment comes on the heels of another controversy roiling the Illinois House. State Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, resigned last week in the wake of a legislative inspector general’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
A House communications staffer assigned to Rep. Ammons referred questions to her district office,…
This type of fraud targets the supply chain and accounts payable departments of businesses.
- Invoice Manipulation: Criminals intercept a legitimate invoice between a supplier and a client and change the banking details to their own. The client pays the bill thinking they are paying their trusted vendor.
- Kickbacks and Bribery: A vendor secretly pays an employee of the purchasing company to ensure their bid is successful or to overlook inflated pricing.