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March 28, 2024

Coles County – Illegal Gun Sales by former Sheriff – Protecting their own?

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On April 9, 2015

Coles County (ECWd)

When a law enforcement entity breaks the law, who can the people turn to for accountability?  As referenced in this article, Edgar County was plagued with illegal gun sales and to date totally ignored by that State’s Attorney, Mark Isaf.

January 17th, 2014 I sent the following to Coles County State’s Attorney Brian Bower.  (Click here for copy of e-mail)

Mr. Bower,
In my investigative journalist work over the last 6 months I have obtained records through FOIA that support clear felony acts of Official Misconduct and violations of the Officers Prohibited acts, sec. 3 as well as violations of others specific statutes, by a public official in Coles County.

My question to you is who should such a complaint be filed with when the public official is part of the Coles County Sheriff’s office. It would be a clear conflict for the Sheriff’s office to investigate my findings so not sure if this needs turned over to you directly or to the Illinois State Police.

I await your direction.

January 17th, 2014 – 3:42 PM I received this response. (Click here for his response e-mail) 

“Mr. Allen
It is my opinion that the appropriate investigatory body would be the Illinois State Police. They would then submit the report to my office, or in certain circumstances to the Attorney General’s Office, for review and prosecution if appropriate. If I can be of assistance in connecting with the State Police please give me a call.
Brian Bower  217 348-0561″

Is there any confusion that Mr. Bower pointed me to the Illinois State Police to handle the investigation? 

Over the next several months I provided factual evidence of crimes to the ISP as part of my official criminal complaint against Darrel Cox, former Coles County Sheriff .  Darrel Cox was involved in illegal activity to include illegal gun sales, which constitutes Official Misconduct and is a potential felony for starters.

February 12, 2014 I sent the detailed complaint with multiple attachments as evidence. (Click here for detailed complaint email)

Approximately late June of 2014, myself and former State Representative Halbrook had a meeting with ISP Lieutenant Greg Lindemulder in the Champaign office.  The Lt. confirmed we did a great job putting our complaint together and although some of the matters exceeded a statute of limitations, there were definitely serious violations of the law identified that could be prosecuted.

We were informed that although there are gun crimes identified, the ISP can’t move forward without direction from the State’s Attorney’s office who has informed them after they presented our evidence that he does not want anything pursued on the matter.  The State’s Attorney advised the ISP that he was going to instead issue a memo to the Sheriff to stop selling guns, a felony act.

I urge everyone to read the original complaint because selling guns was only part of the problem.  Regardless, the very person who sent me to the ISP in the first place didn’t want them investigating anything further.

While all this is going on, I continued to write articles and expose the truth regarding Darrel Cox and his illegal gun trafficking.  He was bold enough to go on TV and deny any wrong doing the day before the election, even though in the interview he admits to selling seized weapons! (Click here for WTHI TV reporting video in our article)

Cox was running for State Representative during this time.  I insinuate the “protecting their own” because we were told in late June or July of 2014 that the SA put out a memo ordering the illegal activity to stop.  In fact, the ISP told us that although the SA office is not going to do anything I should feel good about the fact Cox was given a serious wake up call on the matter, implying he got a pass on being charged with a crime and knows it.

Where this gets interesting is my conversation with the State’s Attorney after having already spoken with the ISP.  It was at a local political event in which he claimed the ISP never brought anything to him. That is a direct contradiction to what the ISP told myself and a sitting States Representative.  We now have the memo which he confirmed sending during our conversation.

Question: If the ISP didn’t meet with him as he claims, then how did they know about the memo? (Click here for copy of memo sent to multiple law enforcement offices)

Protecting their own?  How interesting to see the memo to cease felony crimes was NOT sent out until after the election!  A letter that proves we were right, contrary to many of the local supporters of Cox.  Had the letter been sent out before the election even more voters would have been informed regarding the illegal conduct of, at that time, their sitting Sheriff.   State’s Attorney acknowledges you can’t sell seized weapons and does nothing to those doing it, other than “request and suggest” that it cease.

Protecting their own?  Sadly, even after presenting the local news paper editor with all the information they refused to run a single piece on the crimes being committed, in spite of overwhelming evidence.  Nor would they run any story on the memo issued by the State’s Attorney after the election.

Protecting their own?  WTHI ran the news story linked here the night before the election.  The day of the election, by 11 am, the entire news story was pulled from the web site.  We have been told because of massive backlash from local supporters of gun running Darrel Cox.  To date the news story and video cannot be found on their web site. 

Protecting their own? WTHI has refused to run any follow-up pertaining to the memo issued from the State’s Attorney, even though the low level reporter felt it needs to be shared. Clearly, someone up the food chain does not want the information exposed.

Where is a person to turn when a State’s Attorney’s can selectively ignore felony crimes being committed by the top law enforcement person in the county, the Sheriff? 

Think this is an isolated problem?  It is not!

Both Edgar County and Coles County State’s Attorney’s have ignored illegal gun crimes committed by Sheriffs in their respective county.  If that is not protecting their own I don’t know what is.

If you have any doubt that the local media is failing you, simply click through and read the facts presented on these types of crimes.  I provided some links below to get you started.

I believe we have come to a point in our state that we truly need an independent task force of investigators and prosecutors to take on local government corruption as we see here. A task force that can take these cases right out from under the State’s Attorney because it is clear they are not going to upset their political apple cart and charge one of their own.

Click here for multiple Darrel Cox exposure articles

Click here for Edgar County Sheriff Crippes selling guns with filed off serial numbers!

Click here for Sheriff of Perry County Illinois doing same thing

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19 Comments
  • ECWDogs
    Posted at 13:45h, 09 April

    Coles County – Illegal Gun Sales by former Sheriff – Protecting their own? http://t.co/SX28JHdxwf

  • Dave
    Posted at 13:54h, 09 April

    Gee, its just so hard to believe some people don’t trust law enforcement….

  • ja_lo
    Posted at 17:31h, 09 April

    Unless the law has changed, I believe the county coroner can arrest the sheriff.

    Please withhold my name

  • bob roberts
    Posted at 21:04h, 09 April

    My understanding was the County Coroner in Illinois is authorized to arrest a sheriff.

  • Sick of it all...
    Posted at 08:13h, 10 April

    Can you give us a list of when these State Attorney’s are up for re-election? We need to know early so that they are not re-elected to NOT do the job they are being elected to do. I don’t know how else to change it but by changing the people in office. It would be a slow process but it needs to be done. Can’t allow them to ignore the law any longer. And what outside forces could be brought in to try to clean this mess up? Someone needs to be held accountable for the felonies that have been committed and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

    • Chris M. Gaines
      Posted at 20:25h, 10 May

      Brian Bower our States Attorney was elected in November of 2012. Our next Coles County States Attorney election is in November of 2016. Please consider getting more informed now about the issues and more involved in the process then vote REGULARLY. Demand electoral reforms and government transparency from our public servants.

  • Chris M. Gaines
    Posted at 08:40h, 10 April

    Any citizen can arrest another citizen in Illinois for any criminal offense except a ordinance violation… that includes ANY sheriff or any law enforcement officer or anyone/public servants included. Why not just do that and quit writing about it? Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words, obviously. Do it and see what happens. Test our laws. BE WILLING TO TAKE MITIGATED RISK for other people for their FREEDOM AND SECURITY. Arrest him, you. Why not?

    • Kirk Allen
      Posted at 22:50h, 10 April

      Its not that simple Chris. You can only do that when you witness the crime taking place.

  • Chris M. Gaines
    Posted at 08:58h, 10 April

    Quote: IllinoisLeaks.com “I believe we have come to a point in our state that we truly need an independent task force of investigators and prosecutors to take on local government corruption as we see here. A task force that can take these cases right out from under the State’s Attorney because it is clear they are not going to upset their political apple cart and charge one of their own.” Why not ask our 110th State Representative Reginald Phillips to propose some legislation that would facilitate your proposal here. You got his ear apparently, since you helped get him elected, right? Call him and ask him to sponsor a bill. Why not?

    • Kirk Allen
      Posted at 22:49h, 10 April

      We did not help anyone get elected. We reported the facts so the voters were informed.

  • Chris M. Gaines
    Posted at 10:13h, 10 April

    Posted by: John Smythe
    March 18, 2014

    This is really a hammer blow to every politician in Coles who’s supporting this renegade. I saw where Weaver is his campaign chairman so that means weaver thinks this Cox is someone he can control.

    Source: IllinoisLeaks.com

  • Kirk Allen
    Posted at 11:06h, 10 April

    But it would do no good when the States Attorney has refused to charge him.

    • Chris M. Gaines
      Posted at 11:36h, 10 April

      Did it do any good when you and John attempted to citizens arrest the entire Clark County Park Board last year? Did you expect the Clark County States Attorney would actually file charges against all of them? You did it anyway, why?

      Answer: yes obviously it did some good and put them on notice that this is what you are willing to do if needed, as a private citizen in public and recorded it for evidence of it and published it publicly. That sent a message statewide, to all public servants (Brian Bower included) they aren’t above the law and gained alot media coverage the citizens of Illinois were exposed toO in the process. A citizen arrest is what is required at this point with Darrell Cox…no matter if our States Attorney Brian Bower files charges or not for official misconduct. The point is an example needs made in public to hold our law enforcement agencies and their officers accountable to the laws they enforce and are subject to themselves. Test our laws,see what happens. Why not? Only good things will happen, i assure you of that based on history and especially your credibility as citizen journalists. Not bad obviously. Be willing to take mitigated risks for other people…Please.

  • mr. geenjeans
    Posted at 18:08h, 10 April

    The system is broken. States attorneys should be prohibited from becoming judges. States attorneys should have term limits as well as sheriffs. Equal justice for all? Imagine a citizen doing this. It all makes me physically ill.

  • Chris M. Gaines
    Posted at 14:01h, 12 April

    Why not publish this comment? **The rest of this post was deleted by site admin**

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 14:12h, 12 April

      Because you insist on writing a complete book in every post.

      • Chris M. Gaines
        Posted at 18:17h, 12 April

        Other people write long comments and ive seen you publish their comments for years now, why not mine? I’ve also noticed its not the length of the comments that makes you delete them and not publish them, but the content within them, obviously. I’ve written short ones and long ones both, agreeing and disagreeing with you or Kirk or writing things you don’t like and you called it or Kirk called it “inflammatory” or “invaluable input”…when you write similar things as me and it’s not called “inflammatory” by me,..that’s hypocrisy in my opinion. I’ve noticed if I praise you two in the comments, they can be a mile long and they get published, if I don’t, you don’t publish it, or complain about it, or delete it, or parts now…selective editing that fits your agenda, obviously. What is your agenda by the way? I’m losing respect for you again because of your judgements and your decisions, does that concern you? Why not? Does my opinion matter to you or your audience? You decide, I know already. Have a nice day. I will pray for you as always. Too long…or just right? lol.

  • Chris M. Gaines
    Posted at 08:26h, 14 June

    Why not publish this comment here in this thread? It’s not a “book” (not very long)…like you complained about before…its short and toO the point obviously. Why won’t you publish it John? Can you please answer my question John?

    Admin comment: “Because you keep repeating the same thing in almost every post

  • Casey
    Posted at 19:13h, 07 July

    I hope you send this information to the FBI and ATF @ – Illegal firearms activity
    800-ATF-GUNS (800-283-4867)

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