CHICAGO (WAND) – Former Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval had plead guilty in federal court on Tuesday to bribery and tax offenses, striking a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his cooperation.
According to a statement obtained by NBC Chicago, Sandoval pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery and one count of filing a false income tax return.
As part of the deal, Sandoval "has agreed to fully and truthfully cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office," prosecutors said in a statement. The prosecutors have asked for his sentence to be delayed so he can cooperate.
During his plea, Sandoval admitted that he solicited and accepted money from an unnamed individual affiliated with a Chicago-area red-light camera company. He also admitted to accepting money from others to benefit business interests.
Sandoval accepted more than $250,00 in bribes, according to prosecutors. The scheme involved at least five people. Sandoval will also have to pay back taxes that he falsified between 2012 and 2017. He owes the IRS more than $72,000 and owes the state of Illinois more than $13,000.
Until his resignation, Sandoval had represented the 11th Senate District - encompassing parts of Chicago's Southwest Side and the surrounding suburbs - since 2003.
