Couple Sentenced For Stealing $11 Million In State Grants
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A Chicago couple was sentenced Monday for taking more than $11 million dollars in state grant funds from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Leon Dingle, Jr., 78, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2.9 million in restitution to the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
His wife, Karin Dingle, 76, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution "jointly and severally with her husband," according to the statement.
On Dec. 17, 2014, a jury convicted the couple after a weeks-long trial where the evidence presented showed that the Dingles used non-profit organizations get more than $11 million in grant funds from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The majority of the funds were non-competitively awarded and paid up-front for programs related to breast, cervical and prostate cancer, HIV/AIDS and emergency preparedness, according to the statement.
From 2004 to June 2010, the Dingles owned and operated the corporation Advance Health, Social and Educational Associates, Inc. (AHSEA). Leon was the president, CEO, treasurer and sole shareholder, while Karin served as vice-president and secretary of the company, according to the statement.
The couple was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons within 90 days to begin serving their sentences, according to the statement.
Judge Richard Mills ordered that $1 million from the sale of various assets belong to the Dingles, which is currently in the custody of the U.S. Clerk of the Court, be used toward the couple's restitution payment, according to the statement.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
