Downers Grove police say case is closed on former Republican lawmaker who quit office in July. Police determined that the money Sandack paid by wire transfer was picked up in the Philippine islands.
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The face of the House Republicans during an 18-month battle with majority Democrats over spending priorities and conservative Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda, Sandack was a voracious user of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
“This past July, I was the target of an global crime ring focusing on high profile individuals luring them to engage in inappropriate online conversations with the intent of extortion”, he said in a statement released by the Chicago Sun Times. The prominent GOP leader said he “took their bait and fell for it hook, line and sinker”. He said poor decisions caused him to be victimized, and that he is now working with police.
Earlier this summer, state Rep. Ron Sandack said he was resigning because politics was getting “too ugly” as someone had been setting up fake social media accounts in his name.
Downers Grove police, who issued a heavily-redacted police report Friday, said the case is closed and no charges are forthcoming. Sandack is married with two children. Five days later, a woman in her early 20s with long black hair called him on Skype, police say. Authorities have screenshots of Mr. Sandack’s communication with the woman. He responded by wiring an undisclosed amount of cash to the Philippines via Western Union that day.
The state legislator first received a friend request via Facebook on July 7, then exchanged messages with the mystery friend.
Sandack’s statement followed the release of additional information from a police report about the incident that he filed in July.
An account on Instagram under the screen name ‘sandackrond95b, ‘ which identified the user as an IL state representative, remained, but had no posts and no followers. A spokesman for the governor declined to comment Friday. The report says Sandack accepted a “friend” request with the woman on Facebook and exchanged messages and a Skype video call before he received messages demanding money.
Neither the unredacted portions of the reports nor Sandack’s statement spelled out why Sandack felt compelled to send the woman money.
He also said he had been waiting to come clean until the police investigation had ended.
In case you’re looking for something new to worry about while you’re online, try this: An worldwide crime ring that lures people to engage in “inappropriate” internet conversation with the intent of later blackmailing them.
“Nonetheless, I was a victim”, he said.
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‘Poor decisions on my part enabled me to be a victim and, as a responsible citizen, I reported it and have been working with the police throughout their investigation.
