News

Illinois State Representative from Champaign indicted, accused of wire fraud, lying to FBI

Illinois State Representative from Champaign indicted, accused of wire fraud, lying to FBI

FILE - State Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) spoke at a rally for striking University of Springfield faculty union members Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Photo: Saga Communications/Will Stevenson


Urbana, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Far from the first and unlikely to be the last Illinois politician to be accused of turning public service into a personal ATM, a lawmaker from Champaign-Urbana has been indicted on charges related to using campaign money for personal gain.

A federal indictment shows State Representative Carol Ammons and her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, were formally charged Tuesday with eight felony counts of wire fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice.

Representative Ammons (D-Urbana) allegedly helped obtain state grants for Champaign-area organizations that she and her husband then profited from, between 2017 and last year.

They’re also accused of lying to the FBI about it.

Ammons’ daughter Titianna is also under federal indictment for allegedly committing unemployment fraud during the COVID pandemic.

Carol and Aaron Ammons are scheduled to be in federal court in Urbana on first appearances July 16.

Carol Ammons has been a State Representative in the 103rd District since 2015.  Aaron Ammons has been Champaign County Clerk since 2018, and was an Urbana alderman before that.

 

Recent Headlines

24 hours ago in Entertainment

Judge says Paramount and Warner must halt merger for at least two weeks, granting states’ request

A federal judge on Monday ordered Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court.

1 day ago in Sports, Trending

Spain’s World Cup champions head home for a royal welcome and a parade through Madrid

Spain's World Cupwinning soccer team is set to return home on Monday, where the 26-man squad will be greeted by Spanish royalty and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before boarding an open-top bus for a parade through central Madrid.

1 day ago in National, Trending

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate expected in Miami court

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in Miami on Monday after they were arrested to face rape and sex trafficking charges in the United Kingdom.

4 days ago in Entertainment, Lifestyle

Man charged with hate crimes after confrontation with ‘Today’ show’s Melvin at NBC studio

A 40-year-old New York man faces hate crime charges following a confrontation with "Today" show host Craig Melvin at NBC's studio...