Federal prosecutors have charged ex-Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval with bribery and tax evasion in connection with his support of the red-light camera industry in the state. The charges against Sandoval allege he accepted bribes of $5000 or more for his support of the industry and his opposition to legislation adverse to the red-light camera industry. Federal prosecutors also allege he deliberately under-reported his income in 2017.
Sandoval’s offices in Chicago and Springfield were raided by federal agents in September as a part of a multi-pronged federal dragnet. With the shortness of the charging documents, many Chicago media outlets are reporting that Sandoval is offering cooperation with federal agents for further charges against other officials caught up in the federal probe. Today marks the first charges to have arisen from the series of federal raids that occurred in the late fall and winter last year.