The former director of the East St. Louis public library has been sentenced for embezzling

thousands of dollars from the library for years. Marlon P. Bush, 48, of East St. Louis, Illinois,

was ordered to serve 12 months in prison, followed by six months of home detention and two years of

supervised release. From 2014 through 2016, while serving as the library’s director, Bush took

excess salary for himself, stole from the salary of another library employee, and charged numerous

personal purchases to the library’s credit cards. Bush pleaded guilty earlier this year to a

federal indictment charging him with wire fraud and embezzlement from the library, a unit of city

government that receives federal funds.

Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, said: “Investigating and

prosecuting public corruption remains among the highest priorities for the Department of Justice.

Citizens need to be able to trust the people who work in all levels of government. Serious harm is

done when public employees abuse that trust and put their own interests above the people they

serve. For that reason, we will continue to vigorously prosecute all forms of public corruption in

this district.”

As part of his sentence, Bush was ordered to pay $48,102.86 in restitution to the library.

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force which

consists of agents with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The

prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to

report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public   Corruption

Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.

Marlon P. Bush, age 47, of East St. Louis, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of wire fraud and embezzlement from the City of East St. Louis Public Library, a unit of city government that received federal funds. Bush formerly served as the Library’s director, and from 2014 through 2016 took excess salary and charged personal purchases to the Library’s credit card.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2019. The offenses carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Bush may also be ordered to make restitution for his crimes.

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.

 

Marlon P. Bush, 47, formerly the Director of the East St. Louis Public Library, was charged in a six-count Indictment with three counts of Wire Fraud and three counts of Embezzlement from the City of East St. Louis Public Library, A Unit of Government That Received Federal Funds, Don Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Counts One through Three of the Indictment, Wire Fraud, each carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, while Counts Four through Six, Embezzlement, each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Each of the offenses is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, with mandatory restitution.

The Indictment charges that from September 2014 through December 2016, Bush took excess salary and charged personal purchases to the East St. Louis Public Library’s credit card that included professional sports tickets, concert tickets, personal apparel, jewelry, firearm accessories, and personal travel expenses. Specific counts of the Indictment charge Bush with using the Library’s credit card to purchase tickets for the Dallas Mavericks and the entertainer Bootsy Collins, as well as throwing knives, a machete, and an axe.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The investigation was conducted by the Metro-East Public Corruption Task Force, consisting of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations, and the Illinois State Police. Anyone with information concerning public corruption can call the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line: 618-589-7353. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.