SPRINGFIELD, ILL. -- The following is a press release from the Department of Justice office:
A federal grand jury Wednesday returned an indictment charging LaCost Amusements, Inc., located at 1898 W. Court Street, Kankakee, Illinois, and its owner, Jimmy A. LaCost, 63, with structuring $6.4 million in cash deposits, money laundering, and illegal gambling, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Lang.
The indictment includes Jimmy LaCost’s son, Michael W. LaCost, 40, as a co-defendant with his father in the alleged illegal gambling charge.
The indictment alleges LaCost Amusements Inc. and Jimmy LaCost structured approximately $6.4 million in cash deposits over the past four years, from January 2005 to July 2009, to evade Currency Transaction Reporting requirements.
The indictment also seeks a money judgment against LaCost Amusements Inc. and LaCost equal to $6,390,972 in U.S. currency, representing the amount of the property involved in or traceable to the alleged offenses.
According to the indictment, Jimmy LaCost has had signatory authority over the business bank account of LaCost Amusements, Inc., since Dec. 6, 1999, at a Kankakee bank.
The indictment alleges that on 122 occasions, from Jan. 6, 2005 to at least July 8, 2009, Jimmy LaCost deposited or caused to be deposited individual sums of U.S. currency under the threshold amount of $10,000 to avoid filing a Currency Transaction Report (CTR.)
Financial institutions are required to complete and file CTRs with the Internal Revenue Service when persons deposit more than $10,000 in U.S. currency as a part of a transaction.
The indictment charges LaCost Amusements Inc., Jimmy LaCost, and his son Michael, both of the 2700 block of River Road, Kankakee, Illinois, with conducting an illegal gambling business from January 2005 through July 8, 2009. The business allegedly provided and maintained video gambling machines and devices in violation of Illinois law.A summons will be issued by the U.S. Clerk of the Court for the corporation, Jimmy and Michael LaCost for their respective initial appearances in federal court on a date to be determined by the Clerk.
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