Deer poachers sentenced
Five Mississippi men have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay fines and restitution after using spotlights to illegally hunt white-tailed deer in southern Illinois.
Prosecutors said the five men engaged in a calculated, five-year operation in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope and Clark counties.
Restitution amounts ranged from $2,000 to $75,000.
Guilty plea for utility fraud
A man who fraudulently arranged more than $5 million in utility services for 2,000 Chicago-area properties has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge.
David W. Brown admitted that he offered to arrange electricity and natural gas services for residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area in exchange for a fee.
The conviction is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
National Guard soldiers return
More than 150 Illinois National Guard soldiers from the 2-106th Cavalry have returned home after a ten-month deployment overseas.
The soldiers conducted security operations in Africa before reuniting with friends and family in Bloomington.
