A federal grand jury indicted Ronald Evans Jr. today, accusing the former inspector general of Country Club Hills of working with his wife – then the south suburb’s police chief – to use grant money to pay the mortgage on a historic Chicago theater.
The money was supposed to be used to help dozens of minorities or women train for jobs in the building trades.
Former Police Chief Regina Evans was indicted in April. The state has been trying to get most of the grant money back since late 2009, not long after the check was cut to Regina Evans’ non-profit, We Are Our Brothers Keeper.
An attorney for both Regina Evans and Ronald Evans said the couple is innocent of the charges, which include mail fraud and money laundering.
“We are going to contest the charges,” said attorney Beau Brindley.
Regina Evans, 49, previously pleaded not guilty. The ex-Chicago cop resigned her Country Club Hills post last summer. The suburb’s mayor has commended her work and said her grant problems have nothing to do with the village.
Ronald Evans Jr., 45, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. His inspector general post was axed by opposition alderman last summer.
Both are charged with one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering.
Regina Evans won the state grant with the backing of two state lawmakers.
The money for job training dovetailed with efforts to rehab the New Regal Theater, an iconic 1920s movie palace on Chicago’s South Side that Regina Evans planned to turn around.
Yet, when the state money came through, the theater was in foreclosure.
The Tribune detailed last year that Evans stayed on as Country Club Hills police chief for at least a year as state officials demanded the grant money back.
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