Acevedo sentenced to six months in prison
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Former Illinois House Rep. Edward Acevedo today was sentenced to serve six months in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion in a case tied to the sprawling investigation of former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly brushed aside arguments from Acevedo’s lawyer that probation would be an adequate penalty. He also included restitution in his sentence, requiring Acevedo to pay more than $37,000 in taxes that would have been owed on income he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service, mainly in 2017 and 2018.
* Tribune…
“It just seems to me that there is a particular responsibility, as a person who makes laws, as a person who enforces laws … to comply to those laws,” Kennelly said. “And Mr. Acevedo didn’t do that.”
Before he was sentenced, Acevedo, 58, apologized in a brief statement to his family and his former constituents.
“It’s not the way I wanted to be, it’s not the way I brought my boys up to be,” Acevedo said, appearing before Kennelly via a video link. “I let them down, and I let my community down, and I’m sorry for that, your honor.”
* Sun-Times…
Court records tie the Acevedo indictments to the cases against Madigan, members of his inner circle and ComEd. Edward Acevedo’s name appeared in a subpoena sent to Madigan’s office in July 2020, the same day prosecutors accused ComEd of a bribery scheme that sent $1.3 million to Madigan’s associates as it sought Madigan’s support for legislation in Springfield.
But filings in the case against Alex Acevedo have shed the most light on the Acevedo prosecutions. Alex Acevedo’s defense attorney, Ricardo Meza, wrote that all three Acevedos were served in 2019 with grand jury subpoenas that sought information about “work-related activities” as well as “Mr. Madigan and his associates.”
Then, during a February 2020 meeting with prosecutors, more than 75% of the questions asked of Alex Acevedo were related to Madigan, Meza wrote. He alleged that, when Alex Acevedo’s answers didn’t “align with what the government sought to hear,” an IRS agent began asking him about his tax returns.
“The only fishermen in this case are those men and women who have spent the last seven years of their lives and continue devoting endless amounts of time and resources to catch the now former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives,” Meza wrote.
He has to report to prison in June.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 3:03 pm:
“The only fishermen in this case are…. the now former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives,”
Sounds like he’s “fishing” for new clients.
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 3:14 pm:
Good thing it wasn’t a pot crime…Acevedo coulda caught some real time…like the people rotting in a prison cell for selling marijuana…right now.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:00 pm:
It’s as though there’s this big dinner party, and now that the fish are caught, we are seeing which are appetizers, sides, and main courses.
No need for the Vrdolyak Special, but…
“6 months, it’s a hockey season”
- Huh? - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:04 pm:
“It’s not the way I wanted to be …”
And he did it anyways. These are words are saying that he couldn’t control himself and it isn’t his fault that he accepted bribes.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:06 pm:
Meza’s comments are offensive. Yeah, the Speaker was pretty corrupt. Everyone knows that. And Acevedo benefited from that corruption and got caught.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:11 pm:
This sentence doesn’t feel like it fits the crime.
- Back to the Future - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:29 pm:
Some old same old and no ethics legislation this session.
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:33 pm:
Oh, my wrist.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:46 pm:
“It’s not the way I wanted to be”
He did it anyways. These words are an attempt to claim his behavior was out of his control, and it wasn’t his fault.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:50 pm:
Is this the same Ricardo Meza who served as OEIG several years ago? He never discovered much, did he? And now he’s attacking the feds after his client pleads guilty? This must be a comedy show.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 4:52 pm:
===Meza’s comments are offensive. Yeah, the Speaker was pretty corrupt. Everyone knows that. And Acevedo benefited from that corruption and got caught.===
What is offensive about Mr. Meza’s comments? I don’t agree with the comments, but his job is to represent his client.
- Chito - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 5:01 pm:
I know it’s a stretch but how sweet would it be if he and Ric Muñoz were “cellies”. A guy can dream, right?
- Socially DIstant watcher - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 5:07 pm:
==He never discovered much, did he?==
Other than hundreds of improper hires at IDoT, you mean?
- ;) - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 5:34 pm:
Meanwhile Danny Solis, the only actual criminal, walks free…along with all of the criminals that burnt and thieved all over Chicago during the violent riots. Sure seems like justice don’t it?
- Been There - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 6:19 pm:
====but how sweet would it be if he and Ric Muñoz were “cellies”====
My money is on Acevedo even with his small stature.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 23, 22 @ 7:31 pm:
creepy guy.