Jeri Wright, daughter of Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been found guilty of money laundering and 10 other major felonies. The jury decision comes after startling revelations of continuing corruption in the city of Chicago. Federal Prosecutor Timothy Bass stated that Wright took $11,000 in cash from $20,000 in checks as part of a scheme to siphon money off a jobs training program. The program was called “We Are Our Brother’s Keeper” and was setup to provide much needed training and jobs in the underserved black community. The program received approximately $1.25 million from a state grant that was administered by former Country Club Hills police chief Regina Evans, who was actually running the program with her husband Ronald Evans.
Evans and her husband did little if anything to use the state funds to create jobs or train anyone; rather the money was spent lavishly. According to the federal charges, the Evans’ purchased cars, went on casino trips and remodeled their house. The couple pleaded guilty to the charges. Jeri Wright would receive checks from Evans and convert these checks to cash, keep part of the money for herself; she then would send the remainder back to Evans. Jeri Wright faces 20 years on money laundering charges and as much as 5 years on each additional charge. Wright has maintained that she is innocent of the charges.
