Deep Corruption: Chicagoan found guilty of fraud involving state grant

A West Side Chicago woman was found guilty of fraud after a federal jury deliberated for just 40 minutes. Franshuan Myles received a state grant for teen job training.

Some of that money went to personal expenses.

The "deep" part is in the last paragraph of this Chicago Tribune excerpt.

Bank records showed that in September 2011, long after the grant program had wrapped up, Myles made 41 purchases for herself using state funds, prosecutors said. She bought shoes and clothing at retail stores, home improvement supplies from Home Depot, paid down her car loan and paid for her cellphone plan, all using a bank account containing state funds.

"This wasn't an accident," Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Peluso said in her closing remarks. "The defendant knew exactly what she was doing."

The case sparked interest because of ties to several current and former Chicago-area politicians.

Last May, the Tribune revealed that Myles wrote a Divine Praise check for $4,932 to 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin, identified by authorities only as "Individual A," just two days after the state money landed in her bank account.

A Chicago alderman. Hmm. Very interesting.

Illinois is of course functionally bankrupt.