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In a belt with one of the accomplished abjection ante in Illinois, the man adopted to advice the poor has advantaged in abundant and possibly crooked spending of aborigine money, including Las Vegas trips, $34 car washes and flowers and ability for his political allies.
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East St. Louis Belt Administrator Oliver Hamilton spent $84,970 over an 18-month aeon on an American Express card, according to belt banking annal arise beneath the Illinois Freedom of Advice Act as allotment of a Belleville News-Democrat investigation.
Two associates of the four-member belt board, whose job is to adviser and accept spending, said they didn’t apperceive there were any acclaim cards in the township’s name.
Hamilton accepted he acclimated the agenda for claimed use, but denied any atrocity and said he reimbursed the township. The belt bootless to accommodate affidavit that Hamilton repaid abounding of his claimed purchases, and in added cases provided ambiguous documentation.
In an interview, Hamilton said his mission is “to do what we allegation to do to advice people.” He said he didn’t apprehend he had answerable about $85,000 on a belt acclaim agenda over 18 months.
“I mean, I don’t go and say we done this, we done that and it added up to this. No,” Hamilton said. “I’m aloof aggravating to do what’s appropriate for the people.”
In a association area 45 percent of association alive beneath the federal abjection level, Hamilton’s American Express agenda shows bags of dollars spent on gas, travel, restaurant tabs, car washes and merchandise, mostly architecture supplies, from June 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2015. The BND requested three years of belt banking records, and the belt agreed to accommodate half.
The agenda assigned to Hamilton, who owns a architecture company, additionally was acclimated to buy paint, drywall, lumber, cabinetry, ability tools, tractor tires, locks, nails and bath fixtures. All of these purchases were sales tax exempt.
The architecture abstracts were primarily purchased at Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe’s and Erb Turf, a agriculture accumulation abundance in Swansea, and totaled about $33,400. Hamilton said they were acclimated at the Clyde Jordan Center at 6755 Accompaniment St. and a architecture at 1210 Accompaniment St. area the belt offices were aforetime housed.
“There accept been assorted aliment at both facilities, due to age and neglect,” he said in a accounting anniversary in acknowledgment to submitted questions.
Hamilton said in a afterwards anniversary he bought abounding of the abstracts to accord to contractors accomplishing assignment for the belt because “many of these contractors are poor.”
I mean, I don’t go and say we done this, we done that and it added up to this. No. I’m aloof aggravating to do what’s appropriate for the people.
East St. Louis Belt Administrator Oliver Hamilton
“Many of the bodies we use are competent craftsmen afterwards the amalgamation all-important to assignment steadily in our town,” Hamilton stated. “Many are poor, by any standard, but accessible for activity or activity additional materials. Application bounded contractors and giving them a adventitious to arise up is allotment of the town’s accomplishment to clean our tax abject and application base.”
Asked why taxpayers should advanced aliment for clandestine contractors, Hamilton said, “There was a lot of assignment done. We bare it.”
The belt annal appearance three contractors were paid for baby jobs at the two barrio for a absolute of about $9,000. None would be advised poor. As for the added than $33,000 spent at big box accouterments accumulation aliment and a backyard accessories anniversary company, Hamilton said all the purchases were justified.
John Hardaway, the alone architect of the three who lives in the township, said he accustomed “some paint” from Hamilton to complete a job at the Clyde Jordan Center aftermost year. Belt banking annal appearance he was paid with two checks, one for $1,500 and one for $250.
“I can alone bethink the one job,” Hardway said.
A analysis of the banking annal shows the belt has operated afterwards basal banking safeguards, including application a brand of Hamilton’s signature instead of accepting two signatures to accredit checks, and not appointment acclaim agenda bills to the belt lath for approval. Some checks fabricated out to Hamilton independent aloof his formed signature.
“There are basal safeguards missing here. It’s odd it’s not the agent signing the checks,” said Joe Behnken, a certified accessible accountant and above Republican affiliate of the St. Clair Canton Lath who additionally headed the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority.
June Hamilton Dean, who is Hamilton’s sister and the township’s banking consultant, and belt business administrator Yvette Johnson additionally accept belt American Express acclaim cards in their names. Like Hamilton’s, they are paid electronically and don’t go afore the belt lath for approval.
During the 18 months for which the BND accustomed records, Hamilton Dean spent $2,288 and Johnson $7,053 for a absolute of $9,341 — or 11 percent of what Oliver Hamilton spent. The absolute spent on the three cards was $94,310.
There are basal safeguards missing here. It’s odd it’s not the agent signing the checks.
Joe Behnken, certified accessible accountant and above Republican St. Clair Canton Lath member
Johnson controls the township’s banking annal and additionally keeps the books for the nonprofit Clyde C. Jordan Aliment Bank. She was bedevilled in 2006 on federal vote artifice accuse and accustomed probation. She beneath to comment.
Townships accept a accompaniment authorization to abetment the needy. Abounding townships in the metro-east advance highways or sewers, but East St. Louis Township’s alone role is to advice the poor and elderly.
In 2014, the belt had a $2.5 actor deficit. The latest belt analysis for 2015 by the Belleville close Scheffel & Boyle shows a expenditures of $1.6 million. Of that, aloof $285,780 — or 18 cents on the dollar — was appropriate for “general assistance.” Abundant of the blow goes to administration.
In East St. Louis Township, that accessible abetment basically consisted of affairs aliment for a aliment pantry, hosting “Soul Aliment Sunday” dinners for association and purchasing academy aliment and clothes for beggared children, the banking annal show.
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The auditors warned that they had “serious advancing concerns” that the belt could abide as a applicable banking entity.
Township lath associates Edith Moore and Ricky Eastern said they did not apperceive how abundant Hamilton spent or what he bought on his belt American Express card. Lath affiliate Michael Roberts beneath to animadversion and affiliate Troy Mosley could not be reached. Harry Hollingsworth, the belt clerk, additionally said he was blind of the supervisor’s acclaim agenda account.
“I had no abstraction about any acclaim cards. I apperceive annihilation about that or about any trips to Las Vegas or anywhere else,” said Moore, who additionally is arch of the East St. Louis Association Development Department. These kinds of costs “should accept arise afore us on the board,” she said.
Bryan Smith, controlling administrator of Belt Admiral of Illinois, agreed.
“All accuse like that accept to go afore the lath afore they are paid,” he said.
Hamilton said his accuse went afore the board, and he didn’t apperceive why Moore and Eastern would say they were blind of his belt acclaim card.
East St. Louis Belt paid $45,700 during the 18-month aeon to a architecture aggregation operating out of a abandoned boarding abode endemic by Hamilton at 1232 Cleveland Ave. One of the association of the boarding home is Earnest Walker, 52, who is listed as admiral of Padron Architecture Co., according to the Illinois secretary of state’s office.
The accompaniment attenuated Padron Architecture on Jan. 10, 2014, for declining to book an anniversary report. But the belt affiliated to pay Padron through at atomic December 2015 for grass mowing, snow abatement and janitorial assignment for the township. Checks were fabricated out to “Padrone.”
Hamilton additionally owns and operates Hamilton Contractors Inc. out of the aforementioned boarding abode on Cleveland Avenue. It is accountant by the state. He said he is not complex with Padron Construction.
Asked how two architecture companies can accomplish out of the aforementioned area and not be connected, Hamilton said, “I apperceive it’s adamantine to believe.”
Walker manages the boarding house, declared as Hamilton Shelter Care on the township’s website. It is not accountant by the accompaniment or city, Hamilton said. Walker could not be accomplished for comment.
June Hamilton Dean, a Scott Air Force Abject noncombatant agent and an East St. Louis Burghal Council member, is paid $33,000 a year as the township’s banking consultant. She told the BND the belt would not do business with a attenuated corporation.
“Padrone Architecture Co. is endemic by Earnest Walker. We accomplish every accomplishment to conduct business with appropriately organized companies registered with all able authorities,” Hamilton said in a accounting statement. “When we acquisition that companies are not appropriately registered at the city, accompaniment or federal level, we abandon our business relationships with them.”
Hamilton Dean said in her role as the township’s banking consultant, she looks for “big annual stuff” and doesn’t get complex “with day to day. I don’t bother every little thing. ... I am not attractive at it at that level.”
Oliver Hamilton, 62, a Democrat, is paid a bacon of $64,000 as belt administrator and $19,400 as a St. Clair Canton Lath member. He was adopted out of the Cleveland Avenue abode area his architecture aggregation is based, which he says is his official voting residence. He claims a $1,700 fractional owner-occupied tax absolution on the building, according to canton acreage records.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s wife, Belynda, is listed as a bedfellow at a abode at 2610 N. 89th St., Caseyville, according to a apple control permit. Oliver Hamilton is listed as the buyer of the abode but he gave his abode as 1232 Cleveland Ave. in East St. Louis.
Most of the architecture abstracts and accoutrement purchased with Hamilton’s American Express agenda were answerable at a Home Depot abundance in Collinsville, sometimes on assorted trips in a distinct day, according to a analysis of annual acclaim agenda statements
On a Saturday in March 2015, Hamilton fabricated two trips to the Collinsville Home Depot, one at 11 a.m. to buy a aperture lock, a knocker, a padlock, a 69-piece lock kit, and a additional aperture lock kit for a absolute of $118.23, and two hours afterwards to buy a copse chisel, and a “deluxe 400 rotary apparatus kit,” for $98.46.
Other purchases from Home Depot include:
▪ A laser admixture alliance saw for $224.25, a apparatus acclimated to accomplish absolute cuts in copse and laminates.
▪ Rental of a two-man auger, acclimated to dig holes in the ground, for $78 a day.
▪ Baby items including a 7 ¼-inch carbide saw blade, a sledge hammer, aqueduct cable, ablaze bulbs, an emergency avenue assurance with batteries, wire and connectors, assignment bits, aerosol paint, electrical outlets and a “radar aboveboard edge” barometer tool, for a absolute of $724.05.
▪ Sixty gallons of acrylic for $1,451.
There additionally was a cancellation from a St. Louis annoy boutique for two rear tires for a absolute of $1,100 that were placed on a tractor consistently anchored at 1232 Cleveland that Hamilton said belongs to him. Hamilton said the belt occasionally uses the tractor to cut grass.
In April, Hamilton told reporters his aggregation cleans and aliment apartments for the federally run East St. Louis Housing Ascendancy afore new tenants move in. Housing ascendancy annal appearance Hamilton Contractors Inc. accustomed added than $100,000 in payments in 2012 and afresh in 2013, and $17,250 in 2014. Afterwards annal were not available.
Hamilton’s aggregation additionally has a accepted $8,000 anniversary adjustment to cut grass for the city.
Hamilton’s belt acclaim agenda was acclimated to buy $11,989 annual of gasoline during the 18-month aeon covered by the banking records, sometimes in assorted trips a day.
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The belt has one agent — a 2009 Ford Explorer that Hamilton said he hardly drives. He said he usually drives his claimed 2015 Chevrolet Silverado auto for belt business. Unlike abounding townships in the metro-east, East St. Louis Belt does not accept a artery administration or do alley work.
Over 10 canicule in June 2014, the agenda was acclimated to buy 215 gallons of gas in seven trips to a gas station, including bristles $100 purchases that anniversary would accept abounding the 36-gallon catchbasin of Hamilton’s Silverado. This is abundant ammunition to drive the truck, which averages 16 afar per gallon, about 3,440 afar — or from the metro-east to Chicago 10 times.
During the 18-month advertisement period, Hamilton fabricated 230 trips to gas stations, including 59 visits to a Gas Mart at 902 S. Broadway in St. Louis, according to belt acclaim agenda receipts.
On March 15, 2015, the agenda was acclimated to buy $230 in gas at the St. Louis station. On 13 occasions overall, Hamilton’s agenda was answerable absolutely $100 for gas. The better acquirement was $114.82; the everyman was 57 cents.
Hamilton said abounding of the purchases complex bushing five-gallon cans so Earnest Walker, Hamilton’s boarding abode administrator and Padron Architecture president, could mow grass. Padron receives $1,500 per ages in division for mowing belt property, abandoned lots and for some association chargeless of charge.
$224 Amount spent on belt acclaim agenda at Home Depot on a laser admixture alliance saw
$724 spent for saw blades, assignment bits, aqueduct cable, avenue assurance and added items at Home Depot
$1,100 For tires for a tractor endemic by Hamilton that’s acclimated to cut grass for the townshuip
On April 26-27, 2015, Hamilton acclimated his belt acclaim agenda to biking to a home he owns in Oxford, Miss., a annular cruise of 700 miles. Absolute gas amount for that trip: $210.20.
Asked why he answerable his gas for a claimed cruise to a accessible card, he said, “I’m abiding I reimbursed the township.” He said he would accommodate affidavit to the BND of claim for the gasoline purchases but did not do so.
During that aforementioned trip, he answerable a $94.15 acquirement on the belt acclaim agenda at a Home Depot in Oxford. Hamilton beneath to say what he bought there.
In a written, bearding acknowledgment on belt letterhead, the belt said the Oxford Home Depot acquirement was for $152.42, alike admitting the acclaim agenda anniversary says $94.15.
“A drop admission anachronous 3/29/16 shows the deposit/repayment of funds for items purchased in Oxford, Mississippi, which were accounted disqualified by belt officials,” the anniversary said.
The belt gave no annual for the differing amounts or why claim was fabricated about a year later, afterwards the BND questioned the purchase.
Hamilton’s belt acclaim agenda was acclimated to buy bake-apple baskets alleged “edible arrangements” and flowers for appointment agent birthdays, funerals and political allies.
One acquirement was a $77.08 adjustment of bake-apple and chocolate-dipped pineapple for George Laktzian, a $33,000-a-year adviser for the township.
On the aforementioned day, an $83.37 allegation was placed on Johnson’s belt acclaim agenda for a beginning strawberry, pineapple and cantaloupe adjustment for Jackie Perkins, a applicant for the St. Clair Canton Lath as a New Vision Democrat, a anew formed political accumulation headed by Hamilton. A Mylar airship that apprehend “Happy Birthday” was absorbed to anniversary arrangement.
The belt additionally paid:
▪ $150 for a bulb beatific to the burial of Willie “Big Mac” McIntosh, a Democrat and above Canteen Belt administrator who additionally was a affiliate of the St. Clair Canton Board.
▪ $102.53 for an comestible adjustment for Canton Lath affiliate Marty Crawford, additionally the Centreville Belt artery superintendent, who was hospitalized.
▪ $150 anniversary for flowers for the funerals of retired East St. Louis District 189 abecedary and Democratic belt committeeman R.J. Krause and East St. Louis Acclamation Lath Chairman Elmer Jones.
▪ $200 for commemorative booklets to bless the acclamation of East St. Louis Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks.
▪ $300 for the burial of Walter Bush, a above burghal electrician whose wife still owns a architecture at 2719 Accompaniment St. area both Hamilton Contractors Inc. and Padron Architecture Co. were already housed.
“Donations for the advertisement of commemorative booklets for the mayoral commencement were approved,” Hamilton said in a accounting statement. “The belt has purchased florals, bake-apple baskets and added items for advisers and bounded citizens.”
The anniversary says the floral purchases didn’t beat Hamilton’s $6,000 anniversary amount account, but the belt did not accommodate analysis that Hamilton has an amount anniversary or copies of any amount anniversary receipts that should be retained beneath federal assets tax laws.
Some ability and political donations were paid for by checks accounting out of the belt accepted fund. There were checks to the East St. Louis annex of the civic AKA Sorority for $125; Muhammad Mosque in East St. Louis for $400; the St. Clair Canton Democratic Party for $125, and the East St. Louis Chapter of the Civic Association for the Advancement of Colored Bodies for $1,200.
The belt additionally paid $700 to a afresh arise bedevilled felon.
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In August 2015, the belt paid above East St. Louis and Alorton Police Chief Michael Baxton to assignment as a aegis guard. In 2012, Baxton pleaded accusable to annexation of affirmation and was bedevilled to federal bastille for one year.
“When the ladies assignment late, I like to accept some aegis around,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton and belt lath affiliate Michael Roberts fabricated two trips, in May and December 2015, to Las Vegas to arise what Hamilton initially said were seminars on the growing of flowers and vegetables in water, a action accepted as hydroponics. Their wives accompanied them at aborigine expense, according to Hamilton’s acclaim agenda statements.
Hamilton said he couldn’t bethink who hosted the contest or the locations. The purpose of the trips, according to a belt statement, was to access training to be able to abound “locally-sourced food” that includes tomatoes, bill and added vegetables for bounded association who are poor and alive in a “food desert” area beginning aftermath is adamantine to arise by.
The alone calm growing accident appointed for 2015 in Las Vegas that the BND begin was the Calm AgCon branch captivated March 29-30 at the University of Las Vegas city campus, according to a backer for the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. The Association for Vertical Farming hosted the event.
In an interview, Roberts said he remembered activity to an accident in Las Vegas with his wife and the Hamiltons ancient aftermost year but he couldn’t bethink what it was about. Asked whether the cruise was answerable to Hamilton’s belt American Express card, Roberts said, “I don’t apperceive annihilation about how it was paid.” He beneath added comment.
Four Southwest Airline tickets for the cruise in May amount $382 each, or $1,528 total, according to the acclaim agenda statements. There was a $323 allegation for a rental car and a $184 parking allegation at Lambert/St. Louis Airport. This was for parking at $46 per day in the concise garage, aloof beyond the artery from the accoutrements auto at Terminal II. Long-term parking, which runs $5 to $9 per day, requires assemblage to drive on a chargeless shuttle bus.
The belt issued two checks to Hamilton for this two-day Las Vegas cruise — one for $1,499 and one for $696 apparent “per diem” for expenses. It offered a $382 analysis on the Hamiltons’ claimed blockage anniversary as affidavit that he repaid the amount of his wife’s airline admission to the township. However, the analysis provided did not arise to appearance that it was canceled, which would announce it was never cashed.
The BND requested added capacity about the acumen for the Las Vegas trips. The belt supplied this accounting response: “Our trips to Las Vegas were allotment of our accomplishment to beam baby hydroponic operations and to accept the retail amount of development.” The anniversary mentioned two hydroponic accumulation shops in Las Vegas that were visited.
The belt did not action an annual about why Hamilton and Roberts catholic 1,600 afar to Las Vegas to apprentice about agriculture instead of visiting one of at atomic a dozen hydroponic retail outlets in eastern Missouri or 50 such aliment in axial and southwestern Illinois.
They alarm me ‘Miss No.’ I am consistently adage ‘no’ to something. I am by the book.
June Hamilton Dean, belt banking consultant
The Hamiltons and Robertses alternate to Las Vegas in December, according to belt records. Anniversary airline admission amount $379.96, or $1,519.84 total. The acclaim agenda anniversary entries for the wives’ tickets were apparent “reim” in autography but the belt provided no affidavit of reimbursement. Auberge accuse were not listed. The couples already afresh anchored in the concise barn at the $46 per day amount for a absolute amount of $138.
The final chat from the belt on the Las Vegas trips came in a accounting acknowledgment on May 10: “The administrator and trustee (Roberts) absitively to balance the belt for tickets afterward their analysis in Las Vegas.” The belt provided no affidavit of repayment.
The annal additionally appearance the Hamiltons acclimated the belt American Express agenda for a cruise aftermost July to Los Angeles. Absolute amount was $1,684.65 and included airfare, auberge and $307 for a car rental. No parking amount was submitted.
The belt did not acknowledgment the BND’s accounting questions about why accessible money was acclimated for this trip, or the purpose of the trip. Ten canicule afterwards the Hamiltons returned, on July 30, the belt issued Oliver Hamilton a analysis for $355 apparent “per diem.” It gave no added information.
At atomic three belt checks advised as acquittal to others instead were fabricated out to Oliver Hamilton, the banking annal arise to the BND show. Hamilton said he cashed the checks and paid the being or aggregation with banknote or a money order.
When told that checks for others were issued to her brother, Hamilton Dean, the township’s banking consultant, said, “I don’t anticipate that’s proper.”
One analysis anachronous July 24, 2014, for $3,000 fabricated out to Oliver Hamilton appeared to accommodate Hamilton’s absolute signature instead of a accepted signature stamp. It was acquittal to a St. Louis architecture aggregation for adjustment assignment at the Clyde Jordan Center, according to the records.
Another analysis anachronous Aug. 19, 2015, was advised to advice an East St. Louis mother with three adolescent accouchement pay her aback rent.
The woman said she accustomed money in one agglomeration sum — about $900 — from the Urban League and the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood Center, a non-profit alignment in East St. Louis, but accustomed no money from the township.
A accounting acknowledgment from the belt stated, “The administrator assisted (the woman) by authoritative a absolute acquittal to Parson’s Place authorities via an official coffer check.” A archetype of the analysis to the freeholder was anachronous Jan. 15, 2016 — added than four months afterwards the belt analysis for $900 was accounting to Hamilton on Aug. 19, 2015. It did not explain why Hamilton waited four months to accomplish the hire payment.
A third analysis for $170 was accounting to Hamilton for agreement of bristles car washes at $34 each. Instead of computer-generated receipts from the business, Hamilton angry in a all-encompassing receipt, the affectionate that can be purchased at a biologic store. It independent no business name or abode and listed no specific dates, alone “2015.”
In an interview, Hamilton Dean said, “They alarm me ‘Miss No.’ I am consistently adage ‘no’ to something. I am by the book.” She said she would accord examples of what spending she has angry down, but did not do so.
Facts about East St. Louis Township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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