Suspected Serial Scammer Candace Clark Not Yet Released From Jail; Attorney Says, 'As Far As I'm Concerned, My Client Is Innocent'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Accused serial scam artist Candace Clark had been expected to be released from the Cook County Jail Thursday, but she was not.
Clark was to remain in jail for the night Thursday night, CBS 2 has learned. Earlier in the day, she made a court appearance wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit.
She was granted bond Thursday, but did not post the required $1,500 – 10 percent of the $15,000 bond that was set for her earlier.
The CBS 2 Investigators were first to expose Clark's alleged schemes.
As CBS 2's Vince Gerasole reported Thursday, Clark needed to post a low bond to be released. But she had to wait for several days before even getting permission to bond out.
The reason is tied up in the details of another of her so called schemes.
In a phony ceremony, Clark claimed she was a United Nations attaché. But in fact, Clark was unable to surrender her passport to authorities because she never had one. This was why it took so long for her to be cleared to be released on bond.
The Cook County State's Attorney's office said it had to work well into the night to verify that Clark did not have a passport. Once they did so, she was cleared to post bond.
In a series of reports, CBS 2 Investigator Dorothy Tucker exposed victims' claims that Clark scammed them out of tens of thousands of dollars in rent payments and cash.
"Everybody's innocent until proven guilty, and as far as I'm concerned, my client is innocent," said Clark's defense attorney, Borjan Kovacevic.
When asked about Clark's claim to be a United Nations attaché, Kovacevic said, "Unfortunately, I'm not going to comment on any of that."
Kovacevic took on Clark's case only hours before her court appearance on Thursday. Clark was tracked down by her cellphone and arrested in a Starbucks at Dearborn and Division streets by U.S. Marshals and Chicago Police almost two weeks ago on Friday, Jan. 17.
RELATED: 'She Needs To Be Stopped,' Former Friend Says Of Suspected Scammer Candace Clark
Hadera says Candace Clark was in living in her home rent-free. Clark had signed a lease, agreeing to pay $9,000 a month, but never paid a penny.
This is the woman who claimed in a phony ceremony that she was being sworn in as Director of Special Investigations for the State of Illinois – a position that does not even exist.
Darlene Simmons said Clark scammed her out of her $73,000 life savings. Upon hearing of Clark's arrest, Simmons said, "I'm between a rock and a hard place, but that's Ok, because they caught her!"
Simmons and over a dozen others contacted CBS 2 accusing Clark of conning them in various ways. For one example, Clark hired actors to stage events where she posed as that high ranking state official – and those actors never saw a dime.
Other victims said Clark used doctored documents to lease luxury homes then never paid a single cent in rent.
The landlords of one Lincoln Park luxury home said they were not only out of $30,000 that Clark didn't pay, but also charged that Clark trashed and damaged the house.
Landlord Fiori Hadera is glad Clark's facing punishment for the alleged crimes.
"She got our house she's in jail. That makes me happy," Hadera said when Clark was arrested. "I hope they lock her up forever."
