A former Democratic candidate for the 18th District Congressional seat is heading to prison.
Former Springfield School District 186 president Adam Lopez was sentenced to 11 years in prison today in Sangamon County court for defrauding his financial services clients of more than a million dollars.
Lopez plead guilty to felony theft charges in May. Three counts of financial exploitation of the elderly and a count of financial exploitation of a person with disabilities were dismissed. Also dismissed were the two counts of theft involving a fellow Sangamon County Jail inmate in 2019.
Lopez was defeated by Rob Mellon in a special primary in 2015 vying for the seat vacated by Aaron Schock. Mellon went on to be defeated by current 18th District Congressman Darin LaHood.
During his hearing today, Lopez issued an apology to his victims, his family and friends, and to the taxpayers of Sangamon County for the time and money expended in his two-year long case.
Lopez will get credit for more than 2 ½ years spent in the county jail since his arrest, and will be eligible for day-for-day good time credit toward early release. Lopez was also ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to Country Financial.