United States v. Troutman

572 F. Supp. 2d 955, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77786, 2008 WL 3892173
District Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided August 21, 2008·No. 07 CR 5·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

RUBEN CASTILLO, District Judge.

The Second Superseding Indictment (“Indictment”) alleges that while Defendant Arenda Troutman (“Troutman”) was Alderman for the City of Chicago’s 20th Ward, she enlisted the help of Defendants Steven Boone (“Boone”) and Vincent Gilbert (“Gilbert”) to defraud the City by soliciting and accepting cash from certain individuals in return for her support of those individuals’ real estate projects. (R. 142, Indictment.) On April 24, 2008, this Court severed Gilbert’s trial from his two co-Defendants after finding that a joint trial would prejudice him under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 14. See Unit *959 ed States v. Troutman, 546 F.Supp.2d 610, 618 (N.D.Ill.2008). Gilbert is charged only in Count Twelve of the fifteen-count Indictment, and this Court determined that “[e]ven with the clearest limiting instructions, it would be unreasonable to expect the jury to be able to separate the evidence as to Gilbert from the additional fourteen counts and the alleged overarching scheme in which he is not charged.” Id.

Presently before the Court are four motions filed by Gilbert: (1) a motion to redact Count Twelve so that it omits all reference to Count One of the Indictment (R. 154, Mot. to Redact); (2) a motion to dismiss Count Twelve of the Indictment (R. 155, Mot. to Dismiss); (3) a motion for an order directing the government to preserve and produce notes taken by government agents and attorneys during witness interviews (R. 164, Mot. to Preserve and Produce Notes); 1 and (4) a motion for a bill of particulars as to Count Twelve of the Indictment (R. 157, Mot. for Bill of Particulars).

THE SECOND SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT

Although Gilbert is only charged in Count Twelve, the Court takes judicial notice of the remaining Counts of the Indictment as they' relate to Gilbert. See Palay v. United States, 349 F.3d 418, 425 n. 5 (7th Cir.2003) (district court may take judicial notice of matters in the public record); see also Beam v. Gonzales, 548 F.Supp.2d 596, 601 (N.D.Ill.2008) (taking judicial notice of indictment). Count One charges that Troutman:

used her official position as the Aider-man of the 20th Ward to solicit, directly and with and through others, and to obtain, for the benefit of herself and others, including defendant Steven Boone and Vincent Gilbert, with their knowledge and participation, payments and other things of , value from persons .who were involved in real estate work, with the implicit and explicit understanding that, without such payments and other things of value, her support for land use requests, zoning changes, alley access, sale'of City-owned real estate, and other requests that required local government action would either not be forthcoming or would be delayed.

(R. 142, Indictment, Count One, ¶ 3.) The persons allegedly solicited in this scheme include those identified as Individuals A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I. (Id. ¶¶ 1, 35, 40.)

Gilbert, while not accused in the alleged fraudulent scheme, is alleged to have worked with Troutman to illegally solicit money and partnerships from Individual I, a real estate developer. 2 (Id. ¶ 40.) The indictment alleges that Gilbert was “an acquaintance of Troutman who had little, if any, real estate development experience.” (Id.) Nevertheless, in approximately late 2004 or early 2005, Troutman “indicated, directly and indirectly, that she would support a particular real estate project of Individual I only if Individual I worked on the project with Gilbert.” (Id.) Gilbert allegedly presented Individual I with a consulting contract whereby Individual I would pay Gilbert a $5,000 retainer, but, *960 according to the Indictment, they did not enter into the contract at that time. (Id. ¶ 41.)

Subsequently, on or about July 1, 2005, as part of his cooperation with the government, Individual I entered into the consulting contract with Gilbert and paid him a $5,000 fee. (Id.) At that time, Gilbert allegedly told Individual I, “when I’m happy, the Alderman’s happy. I’m happy now because she actually directed at me to you so I never thought it would be like pulling teeth.” (Id. ¶ 42.) Individual I, however, allegedly refused to.make Gilbert a partner on a real estate project, and Gilbert responded “I can make this project go, otherwise I think this project is in jeopardy.” (Id. ¶ 43.) Nevertheless, Gilbert allegedly made a presentation to Troutman and her economic development board on behalf of Individual I, but they did not support Individual I’s real estate project. (Id. ¶ 44.) When Individual I expressed displeasure with Gilbert, Gilbert allegedly warned Individual I, “don’t piss me off because you still have property ... in that ward.” (Id.) Individual I then allegedly asked Gilbert to arrange a meeting with Troutman to discuss the project. (Id.) At a meeting that occurred in early December 2005, Troutman allegedly told Individual I that his relationship with Gilbert “didn’t seem to work out,” and suggested that Individual I could work instead with Troutman’s brother. (Id. ¶ 45.)

Count Twelve of the Indictment charges Troutman and Gilbert with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (the “Hobbs Act”) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 when, in approximately late 2004 or early 2005 until early 2006, they “knowingly attempted to commit extortion ... in that they attempted to obtain property, namely $5,000 as part of a financial arrangement related to real estate development projects, from Individual I, with Individual I’s consent induced under color of official right, and by the wrongful use of fear of economic harm.” (Ri 142, Indictment, Count Twelve.) Count.-Twelve incorporates paragraph 1 of Count One, which sets out the roles and identities of the players in the overarching scheme charged in the Indictment. (R. 142, Indictment, Count Twelve, ¶ 1.)

On August 6, 2008, Defendant Troutman entered a guilty plea to Counts One and Thirteen of the Indictment. (R. 171.)

ANALYSIS

I. Motion to Dismiss Count Twelve

Gilbert argues that Count Twelve should be dismissed because it: (1) fails to state an offense; (2) fails to adequately inform Gilbert of the nature of the charge so that he may prepare his defense; (3) is insufficient to allow Gilbert to plead the judgment as a bar to future prosecutions; and (4) is duplicitous in that it alleges two or more offenses in the same count. (R. 165, Mem. in Supp. of Mot.

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United States v. Troutman, 572 F. Supp. 2d 955, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77786, 2008 WL 3892173 (N.D. Ill. 2008).

572 F. Supp. 2d 955 (United States v. Troutman) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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