Former State Senator William “Sam” McCann is asking for a delay in his federal trial. McCann’s attorney Rosana E. Brown filed a 90-day continuance in U.S. District Court in Springfield this week so she can “review discovery, conduct investigation, and negotiate with the government,” according to the filing.
McCann was indicted on February 23rd on 9 counts: 7 counts of fraudulent misuse of campaign money and providing false tax returns to the IRS; 2 counts of money laundering; and 1 count of tax evasion by willfully filing a false tax return in 2018.
McCann was appointed a public defender during the February hearing after telling the court he was unemployed and over $53,000 in debt, with just $500 in his personal accounts. He plead not guilty and is currently free on bond.
As a condition of his release, the federal court required him to surrender his firearms and FOID card, which according to a report by the State Journal-Register, totaled about 75 firearms. McCann also is forbidden to travel outside of Illinois or the St. Louis metropolitan area and must look for work.
McCann was scheduled to appear at trial on April 6th, but federal prosecutors accepted McCann’s 90-day continuance. If convicted of the charges, McCann could be sentenced to more than 45 years in prison and fined up to $1 million.