* Tribune…
A Chinatown developer who wore a wire on former Ald. Daniel Solis and helped the FBI break open a sweeping political corruption probe has been charged with fraud related to a South Side condominium project.
See Y. Wong was charged in a seven-page criminal information with wire fraud for allegedly lying to banks and buyers involved with his Canal Crossing building, records show.
A criminal information typically indicates a defendant intends to plead guilty. Wong is scheduled to be arraigned at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday, records show. […]
Wong began cooperating with the FBI in May 2014 after he was caught up in the fraud scheme and agreed to secretly record Solis in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence once he was charged, according to a federal search warrant affidavit unsealed in 2019.
* Sun-Times…
See Y. Wong made a secret 2014 audio and video recording for the feds of then-Ald. Danny Solis and House Speaker Michael Madigan, according to court records and sources. That recording became part of the investigation that persuaded Solis to then secretly record Burke.
But Wong helped the feds only because he hoped a judge would one day go easy on him for a fraud that had yet to be identified — until Wednesday. That’s when federal prosecutors filed a seven-page charging document known as an information that accused Wong of wire fraud. […]
Wong’s alleged scam revolved around the Canal Crossing condominium development in Chinatown. Wong is accused of lying to buyers and to Cathay Bank. The bank loaned $13.7 million for the project to Emerald Homes, of which Wong was an owner. The feds say the scheme cost the bank $1.8 million and buyers of the condominiums $1 million.
Specifically, the feds pointed to a $170,100 wire transfer Wong made nearly 10 years ago, on May 18, 2010.
* Speaking of recordings…
6,000? Whew.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 11:29 am:
Do the feds still transcribe audio recordings? If so, do they provide those along with the audio files to the defense?
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 11:43 am:
Can’t wait to hear “play all the tapes,” again….
- Tommydanger - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 11:56 am:
Rich: Is the headline missing a word? “…recorded Madigan….”
- Jocko - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 12:01 pm:
Like Tommy said, they have Solis saying something untoward (to get him to flip on Burke), but it doesn’t sound like they ‘got’ Madigan.
- Huh? - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 12:02 pm:
“Is the headline missing a word?“
At the very least, missing a comma after Madigan. The way it is written it seems as though Madigan was charged with fraud and not the developer
- Bourbon Street - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 12:05 pm:
The headline is the CapFax version of “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” by Lynne Truss.
- Paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
Anyone Remember - Do the feds still transcribe audio recordings? If so, do they provide those along with the audio files to the defense?
Yes, if they calls or recordings will be used as evidence the government will provide transcriptions (which are not evidence). They will usually have some rough drafts of what was said included in the initial disco
- Cubs in '16 - Thursday, Mar 12, 20 @ 1:56 pm:
===See Y. Wong===
Apparently not in time.