Ex-state Rep. ‘Eddie’ Acevedo set for trial in tax case in early 2022

Another federal public corruption case is set to go to trial early in 2022 as Chicago’s U.S. District Court continues to fill its calendar following delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prosecutors hit former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo with tax charges in February. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly scheduled Acevedo’s trial for Jan. 10.

If it goes forward, Acevedo’s trial would be the first connected to the feds’ bribery probe of ComEd. It would also occur a little more than a month before the trial of state Sen. Thomas Cullerton, who faces separate embezzlement charges.

Bloomingdale Township Road District Commissioner Robert Czernek’s kickback case is also set for trial in August, and Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta is scheduled to stand trial in a bribery case in December.

Prosecutors allege Acevedo evaded taxes for the years 2017, when he made $130,775, and 2018, when he made $127,708. He is also accused of failing to file tax returns for those years, as well as for 2015 and 2016.

Also charged in separate tax indictments in February were Acevedo’s sons, Michael and Alex Acevedo. Records connected to all three indictments listed the same grand jury number that has appeared in court records related to the investigation circling former House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Though Madigan has been implicated in a bribery scheme involving ComEd, he has not been criminally charged and denies wrongdoing.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported last year that federal prosecutors had subpoenaed the Illinois secretary of state’s lobbyist division for records related to the Acevedos, as well as their lobbying company, Apex Strategy LLC. Edward Acevedo’s name also then appeared in a subpoena sent to Madigan’s office last July.