It’s former state Rep. Luis Arroyo’s flip to step in entrance of a federal decide.
He is due for arraignment Tuesday earlier than U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger on the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
First charged in October, federal prosecutors final month filed a one-page charging doc often known as an info towards Arroyo, accusing him of bribery. Though it repeated earlier allegations, the submitting was important as a result of an info usually alerts a defendant’s intention to plead responsible.
Multiple calls searching for remark from Arroyo’s lawyer, Michael Gillespie, have gone unreturned. Arroyo is one among 4 elected officers charged on account of the feds’ ongoing prison investigations into public corruption. Last week, former state Sen. Martin Sandoval pleaded responsible to a bribery scheme involving red-light cameras.
Prosecutors first charged Arroyo with bribery in a prison grievance in October. In doing so, they revealed a state senator had been cooperating with them on and off since 2016. The grievance didn’t title the senator, however a supply recognized that particular person as Sen. Terry Link, D-Vernon Hills. Link has publicly denied it. Arroyo resigned from the House.
The case outlined final fall towards Arroyo revolved round his lobbying work in Chicago as supervisor of Spartacus three LLC. Arroyo signed a deal between Spartacus three and V.S.S. Inc. in August 2018 that promised $2,500 in month-to-month funds from V.S.S. to Spartacus. V.S.S. had employed Arroyo’s firm to foyer the Chicago City Council for a sweepstakes ordinance, in line with the feds.
Sweepstakes machines will not be regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board however appear like common slot machines.
Arroyo approached Link throughout final 12 months’s spring legislative session about sweepstakes laws after which reached out once more late in July, in line with the grievance, which doesn’t title Link however refers to him as Cooperating Witness 1. On Aug. 2, the 2 males met at a Highland Park restaurant with an unnamed particular person and that particular person’s affiliate. Arroyo mentioned he wanted Link to assist the laws within the Senate.
Later, Link requested to talk alone with Arroyo. When they stepped exterior, Link allegedly mentioned “This is you and I talkin’ now . . . nobody else.” And Arroyo allegedly replied, “Whatever you tell me . . . stays between you and me.”
Federal investigators have been conducting surveillance, the doc mentioned.
Arroyo went on to elucidate that he was a “paid consultant” and informed Link, “If you put a price on it, I mean, if you want to get paid, you want somebody else to get a check monthly, a monthly stipend, we could put them on contract. We could put you on a contract. You tell me what it is. Tell me what you need.”
Link allegedly acknowledged, “I’m lookin’ for something, you know? I’m in the twilight, you know.”
Arroyo allegedly defined how he had been making $2,500 a month and mentioned, “That would be guarantee from me to you.” Link replied, “All right.” Arroyo went on to say, “My word is my bond and my, my reputation.”
The feds say the lads met once more Aug. 22 at a restaurant in Skokie, the place Arroyo allegedly handed over a test for $2,500. It had been written over to a reputation the feds had informed Link to provide to Arroyo. The funds have been anticipated to proceed for six to 12 months.
“I’m going to give you this here,” Arroyo allegedly mentioned. “This is, this is, this is the jackpot.”