Free Republic

The former police chief for the village of Alorton and the city of East St. Louis was sentenced in United States District Court on April 27, 2012 for stealing evidence and making false statements to federal investigators, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Michael Baxton, Sr., 49, was sentenced to federal prison for one year; was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and a $2,000 fine; and was ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence. Baxton, Sr. pled guilty to the charges...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A federal jury Wednesday convicted the head of this city's Democratic Party and four others of scheming to buy votes with cash, cigarettes and liquor last November to try to get key Democrats elected. Jurors in the monthlong trial deliberated more than five hours before convicting local Democratic Party chairman Charles Powell Jr., 61, and Kelvin Ellis, 55, the city's former director of regulatory affairs, of felony conspiracy to commit vote fraud. Also convicted were Democratic precinct committee members Sheila Thomas, 31, and Jesse Lewis, 56, and City Hall worker Yvette Johnson, 46. Ellis, Thomas,...

The Prosecution told the jury "You cannot hide from the tapes." And they didn't!VIDEO CLIP OF VERDICT ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY, HERE A terrific clip that shows federal agents raiding East St. Louis City Hall! ** All five defendants are found guilty! **Kelvin Ellis (on left) will also be tried for attempted murder of a government witness. The witness had threatened to expose a prosititution ring Ellis was running out of East St. Louis City Hall. Mr. Ellis spent time in prison for abusing a city post before becoming the Director of Regulatory Affairs in East St. Louis. Charles Powell, Jr. (on...