Home Springfield Press Releases 2010 Former Deputy Liquor Commissioner of East St. Louis Pleads Guilty to Extortion Scheme and for Lying to Federal Agents...
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Former Deputy Liquor Commissioner of East St. Louis Pleads Guilty to Extortion Scheme and for Lying to Federal Agents

U.S. Attorney’s Office June 16, 2010
  • Southern District of Illinois (618) 628-3700

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 16, 2010, WALTER DONTEZ HILL, age 32, of Belleville, Illinois, pled guilty to extortion under color of official right and making false statements to federal investigators. The extortion offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, three years' supervised release, and mandatory restitution. The false statement count carries a potential penalty of five years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois sitting in East St. Louis.

HILL was convicted for using his official position as the Deputy Liquor Commissioner for the City of East St. Louis to solicit and obtain money and property not due him or his office from liquor license holders in East St. Louis that included cash, liquor and requests for sexual favors. According to information made public at the plea hearing, HILL also made false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service pertaining to whether he ever accepted money from businesses that he regulated and whether he ever used another individual to make collections from a liquor store manager in East St. Louis who he was extorting.

The investigation of the case was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Norman R. Smith and Steven Weinhoeft.

If you know of any evidence of public corruption, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (877) U-TIP-OFF.

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