Politics & Government
Former IL Sen. Martin Sandoval Dies Of COVID-19: Report
Sandoval, a key player in a federal corruption probe, pleaded guilty earlier this year to collecting more than $250,000 in bribes.
CHICAGO, IL — Martin Sandoval, the former Illinois state senator who pleaded guilty to being involved in a corruption scheme to collect more than $250,000 in bribes, has died of complications related to coronavirus, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times citing Sandoval's attorney, Dylan Smith. He was 56 years old.
"I was proud to have represented Martin Sandoval,” Smith told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He was someone of considerable ability who had done a great deal of good in his life and someone who was working very hard to make amends for his mistakes."
Sandoval became a key player in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe after FBI agents raided his Springfield office and his home in Gage Park.
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In January, Sandoval pleaded guilty to bribery and filing a false tax return, one day after an indictment was filed in federal court.
In a plea agreement, Sandoval admitted he solicited and accepted money and other benefits from someone affiliated with red-light camera company SafeSpeed in return for Sandoval using his position to block legislation against the red-light camera industry.
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Sandoval also admitted to engaging in corrupt activities with other public officials, accepting money from others in return for using his official position to try to help them and their business interests, and accepting more than $250,000 in bribes as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.
Sandoval also admitted to willfully causing his accountant to file income tax returns that Sandoval knew reported his income for the calendar years 2012 through 2017 as less than his actual. Sandoval had agreed to pay for those losses, officials added.
As part of his plea agreement, Sandoval agreed to cooperate with officials conducting the ongoing corruption probe.
Just last week, prosecutors said Sandoval had “provided valuable cooperation that is expected to last at least several more months," according to the Sun-Times.
Sandoval also came under fire in 2019 after a images from a campaign fundraiser showed an attendee pointing a fake assault weapon at another man wearing a Donald Trump mask.
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