Casino news source: Daily Southtown - http://www.dailysouthtown.com
Casino winnings bring bad luck to Frankfort man
October 16, 2007
BY KIM JANSSEN Staff writer
A casino win turned out to be a bad fortune for a Frankfort man thrown in jail Monday.
Jose Torres, 43, of the 7700 block of Emerald Court, went to Harrah's Casino in Joliet in July to collect his winnings.
But when he got to the entrance, security staff checked his state ID card and noticed it was a fake.
They called police, who found a bag of cocaine in Torres' pocket. Torres, an illegal immigrant, pleaded guilty Monday to possession of a controlled substance and was set to be sentenced to probation.
But during the sentencing hearing, Judge Robert Livas noticed Torres had entered a Social Security number on his court papers.
"Do you have a Social Security number?" Livas asked.
Torres sheepishly admitted, "I made it up when I came to the United States so that I could pay my taxes."
"That is a crime," Livas told him, revoking Torres' bond and ordering him held at Will County jail until Dec. 10, when he will be sentenced.
The judge said he was not concerned about Torres' immigration status because the drug charge was a "simple case," but he added, "This man lied about his Social Security number, so how do I know who he is?" |
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