Lamar Gentry, age 71, of East St. Louis, Illinois, pled guilty today in federal district court to making a false statement to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force.
Exactly one year ago, on Sept. 19, 2017, the Task Force first became involved in the investigation that would eventually lead to Gentry’s arrest. At the time, police officers in St. Louis were investigating reports that gun shots had been fired from a white Chevrolet Impala. When a car matching the vehicle’s description was spotted, officers initiated a traffic stop. Two occupants jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The license plates on the vehicle were municipal plates assigned to Gentry, who was then and continues to be the administrator for the Village of Alorton.
During an interview on Oct. 13, 2017, Gentry told federal agents that the white Impala had previously been sold and partially paid for by the purchaser, when in fact he knew that the vehicle had not been partially paid for, there was no completed bill of sale and the vehicle had not been sold.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2018. The offense carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
