From the Belleville News-Democrat:
A federal jury on Wednesday found five East St. Louis Democrats guilty of vote fraud.
The defendants were found guilty on all counts following a four-week trial in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis.
Four of the defendants -- Jessie Lewis, Sheila Thomas, Yvette Johnson and former city official Kelvin Ellis -- were found guilty of conspiracy to commit election fraud and election fraud.
Democratic Party boss and former City Councilman Charlie Powell was found guilty of one county of conspiracy to commit election fraud.
The five were charged with paying voters up to $10 a vote to vote for Democratic candidates during the Nov. 2 general election.
The jury deliberated about five and a half hours before returning the verdicts.
"This is a wake-up call for East St. Louis," said juror LaMont Reed Jr. of East St. Louis. "I've seen this corruption all my life."
Judge G. Patrick Murphy, who presided over the trial, will set a sentencing date later.
Read here to learn more about this case.
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