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Wiretaps key to government case against Kimmel
15-May-08 – U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has offered a glimpse of his case against Marina City resident Gary S. Kimmel. Kimmel is accused of money laundering related to a nationwide prostitution ring. His trial is scheduled to begin on June 2. In a court document filed on April 21, sent to Marina City Online this week by the U.S. District Court for northeastern Illinois, Fitzgerald makes his case for the admission as evidence of statements from people involved in the ring other than Kimmel. Fitzgerald describes a conspiracy among Kimmel and three alleged pimps – Robert Lewis Young (also known as “Blue Diamond”), Jody Spears, and Mark Luke White. Young and Spears were tenants of Kimmel at Marina City. Fitzgerald says Kimmel’s apartments were used by prostitutes working for Young and Spears. He claims Kimmel knew Young was a pimp and agreed to purchase luxury vehicles for use by him and his prostitutes. Between March 2002 and November 2005, Kimmel is said to have accepted about $375,000 from Young and his prostitutes, mostly to pay for expenses related to the vehicles. They also paid Kimmel for dental work, money that was not, according to the government, reported as income to his dental practice. Court documents have described how Kimmel was often paid in cash sent through the mail in shoe boxes. Kimmel also allegedly paid for airline tickets and bail money for the prostitutes, as well as $10,000 in advertising expenses for Young’s prostitution business. Much evidence will be from court-authorized wiretaps of Kimmel’s cell phone and office line. The taps include a July 2005 conversation in which Young and Kimmel discuss a prostitute named Kenyatta who had taken a car owned by Kimmel without Young’s permission. Young tells Kimmel he will “cut all them legs off for you.” “I’ll get the car,” says Young. “I’m going to fly someone up there to get it. I’ll pick her up and slam her on her [expletive] back.” One of Kimmel’s dental patients, according to Fitzgerald, was a prostitute named Brooke who lost several teeth in a severe beating by Mark Luke White. Kimmel was paid for this work, the government alleges, in sexual favors for a friend of Kimmel by another of White’s prostitutes. During a phone call to Kimmel, White is recorded as saying, “Hey man, thanks man, I love you man, you know we goin’ to keep on, we goin’ to keep on scratchin’ each others back, you know,” to which Kimmel responds, “Okay, that’s good.” Kimmel’s attorney is Joseph Lopez, who represented Frank Calabrese Sr. in the Chicago “Family Secrets” Mob Trial. Representing the government will be Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Ruder and Felicia Manno. Kimmel’s next court date is a status hearing on May 22 before Hon. Blanche Manning.
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