McHenry County Blog

Coroner Marlene Lantz confirmed today, “It was an apparent suicide.”

She also told me that it was a man.

The Crystal Lake Police Department again directed me to the Union Pacific Railroad and I ended up talking to the same media guy I conversed with Saturday, Mark Davis.

As he quickly read the UP report to himself I heard

• “north side of the road,”
• “trespassed sustained fatal injuries” and
• “relatives being notified.”

And, Davis told me local officials would have to release further details.

So I called Metra and got Meg Reile.

She told me more than anyone else has.

And her source seemed to be the Crystal Lake Police Department.

A woman was stopped on Sands Road looking for something in her bag.

She saw a man get out of a vehicle and walk toward the tracks.

The engineer repeatedly blew the train’s horn.

The man stood by the crossing waiting for the train to come.

He stepped in front of the train.

The woman said he “disappeared.”

The man seems to have been a resident of the south side of Crystal Lake.  Her was was 61 years old.

I’m not releasing the name of the man because I can’t see any purpose it would serve.

That’s a bit more than you could have read about the accident in my Saturday article, where there are more pictures.

As I was driving to Fox River Grove in mid-afternoon, a Crystal Lake Police Car was blocking Sands Road at Route 14.

On the way home, I drove from Route 14 to Sands Road via Smitana Raod, the one that cuts off 14 next to Country Gas.

Here’s what I saw:

Getting closer, here was the view:

From Sands Road, here is what was visible:

“Somebody walked in front of a train,” Metra Spokesman Tom Miller said.

It was the 709 train, which left Chicago at 1:30 Saturday afternoon.

The train was due at the Pingree Road Station at 3:48 in the afternoon. It left Cary five minutes earlier and had just crossed the Route 14 overpass.

A call to the Crystal Lake Police Department was referred to the Union Pacific Railroad.

UP Spokesman Mark Davis, out of Omaha, told me, “I wouldn’t have anything,” saying that local officials would release the information.

“We will provide peer support to the engineer and the train crew, if they need it.”

Crystal Lake’s most memorable “Death by Metra” occurred when Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano walked in front of the last train to Chicago from McHenry in May of 2009.

Given blanket coverage on Chicago electronic media, there were many copycat suicides in the following months.

A bit ago, the Chicago Tribune ran an article showing that Metra, Chicago’s commuter rail operation’s transparency.

Metra  brags about having over 95% of its trains on time, but some lines are well below that level, the Tribune found.

Fortunately, one of the lines is the not the Union Pacific’s Northwest Line, which serves McHenry County.

That may be a legacy of former Metra Board Chairman Jeff Ladd, who focused on the trains being on schedule with laser-like regularity.

Now, the Tribune in reporting that Metra has put the on-time figures on its web site.

Look for further improvements on the web site, because reporters Richard Wronski and Joe Mahr point out that the statistics are still hard to find.

Without the hint in the article, I would not have found them.

Here’s where to look.

Credit Phil Pagano’s replacement Alex Clifford.

I hope I can credit with better presentation in the near future.

Multiply the 40,239 student figure for spring 2011 enrollment by 50, just assuming that high speed rail would have a life of fifty years.

They divide that by six, just assuming that the average student takes six years to get through college.

The result is 368,658 students. Let’s round down, assuming that the average student doesn’t take six years to get through college.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Governor Pat Quinn is allocating $1.25 million in planning money.

The article says construction of a system that would allow 220 MPH bullet trains would cost tens of billions of dollars.

OK, let’s assume that its only three tens of billions of dollars.

What is $30 billion divided by 300,000.

It’s only $300 per student?

That’s assuming equipment is included in the $30 billion and no annual operating subsidy is required.

And assuming all the students will use the train to get to and from home.

Neither assumption is likely.

In the 1990′s, when I calculated how much it would cost in operating subsidies to keep Amtrak running to Macomb, it came out to over $2,000 per student.

I figure it would be as cheap to buy each student a car.

I’m betting a similar conclusion can be reached after the U of I study is completed.

Now the Mexican drug lords are bringing marijuana into Chicago by the train.

Whole cars filled with marijuana.

It is really hard to comprehend such a large scale operation.

The U.S. Attorney’s press release is below:

U.S. SEIZES NEARLY 11 TONS OF MARIJUANA ABOARD TRAIN FROM MEXICO;

SEVEN DEFENDANTS ARRESTED AT CHICAGO HEIGHTS STORAGE SITE

Homeland Security/DEA investigation yields largest marijuana seizure ever in Chicago area

CHICAGO — Federal marijuana distribution conspiracy charges were filed today against seven defendants who were arrested yesterday during what law enforcement officials said they believe is the largest seizure ever of marijuana in the Chicago area — conservatively estimated at approximately 21,800 pounds, or nearly 11 tons, packed into six railroad cars from Mexico that arrived at a warehouse in south suburban Chicago Heights earlier this month.

The marijuana is estimated to have a value of approximately $22 million.

The arrests and seizure followed an intensive month-long investigation and were announced today by

• Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois;
• Gary J. Hartwig, Special Agent-in-Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago;
• Jack Riley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration;
• David Murphy, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Chicago; and
• John Beutlich. Director of Operations for CBP Air and Marine, Northern Region.

The Illinois State Police, the Will County Cooperative Police Assistance Team Task Force (WCPAT), and the Union Pacific Railroad Police Department also participated in the investigation, which was conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

The defendants are:

• Carlos Osvaldo Quintero, also known as “Carlos Gomez” and “Miguel Dominguez,” 31;
• his father, Martin Quintero, 63;
• Felipe de Jesus Magana-Campos,aka “Padrino,” 47;
• Eduardo Angel Zalayaran-Ruiz, aka “Other Inge,” 54;
• Javier Vera, aka “Ducky,” 24; Christian Gonzalez, aka “Chris,” 24; and
• Miguel Cordova, aka “Mike,” 20.

All seven were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court. They appeared this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys and remain in federal custody pending detention and preliminary hearings, which were scheduled for 2:30 p.m. next Tuesday.

“This historic drug seizure represents law enforcement partnership and cooperation at their best,” said Mr. Hartwig.

“HSI and DEA agents, together with our state and local partners, removed nearly 11 tons of marijuana intended for our communities. ICE will continue identifying and dismantling criminal organizations that smuggle drugs across our borders and into our communities.”

Mr. Riley, of the DEA, said:

“The estimated $22 million dollars worth of marijuana seized in this joint investigation translates to a significant blow to the availability of marijuana in the region, as well as a denial of illicit proceeds back to those responsible for this shipment.”

According to a 74-page affidavit by an HSI special agent, on Nov. 17, CBP officers in Eagle Pass, Tex., discovered that a Union Pacific train bound for Chicago Heights was carrying approximately 21,800 pounds of suspected marijuana.

CBP officers observed a number of large bundled packages, referred to as “super sacks,” in six cars on the train. A CBP canine alerted officers to the presence of narcotics in the train cars near several of the super sacks. CBP officers then opened a super sack and observed 13 cubic bundles, which were encrusted in a thick layer of fine red masonry pigment dust. CBP officers broke open several of these cubic bundles and observed a green leafy substance, which field tested positive for the presence of marijuana. In total, CBP officers observed that approximately 109 super sacks in the train cars contained cubic bundles comprised of a green leafy substance. Officers weighed 13 of the cubic bundles from one super sack and determined that they weighed approximately 200 pounds.

The bill of lading associated with these cars stated that they contained 58 super sacks in each train car, or a total of approximately 340 super sacks.

The shipping documents stated that the super sacks contained packages listed as “TITANIUM PIGMENTS OR.”

The documents further stated that the train cars were loaded and sent by a company called Comercializadora De Minerale, located in Jalisco, Mexico, and were being imported by a company called Earth Minerals Corp., in Rockdale, just south of Joliet.

CBP officers contacted HSI special agents for further investigation.

The HSI agents then placed the suspected marijuana back into the rail cars and sealed them.

The rail cars were then placed back into the normal course of commerce, and with the railroad’s cooperation, HSI and DEA agents surveilled the train cars as they traveled to a storage warehouse in the 1200 block of S. State Road, in Chicago Heights, with rail access.

One defendant, identified as Carlos Osvaldo Quintero, allegedly spoke to a Union Pacific employee on multiple occasions to coordinate the delivery of the train cars to the warehouse.

From Dec. 6 through 10, the rail cars were unloaded by individuals who used forklifts to move large bundled packages containing marijuana from inside the cars to a storage facility located approximately 50 yards from the initial warehouse.

On several occasions on Nov. 17 and 18, CBP officers spoke with a customs broker who works in Eagle Pass, Tex.

The broker stated that he had been hired by Earth Minerals, and that a man identifying himself as “Miguel Dominguez” had called him multiple times on Nov. 17 to inquire about the whereabouts and estimated arrival date for the rail cars.

Further investigation yielded no public records of any businesses named Chicago Earth Minerals Corp. or Earth Minerals Corp. in Illinois.

On Dec. 1, agents arranged for the delivery of a test train car, believed to be carrying no marijuana, to the Chicago Heights warehouse premises. The gate to the premises was locked and the test rail car was parked outside overnight.

The next morning, agents observed an individual identified as “Carlos Gomez” and three unidentified men arrive at the premises. Gomez and the others were observed pushing the test car inside of the warehouse premises, using a mechanical device. Later that day, agents observed Gomez and the others use a forklift to move cargo from the test car onto pallets. Using aerial surveillance, agents further observed the pallets being loaded onto a semi-tractor trailer, with a flatbed.

On Dec. 6, agents caused the six interdicted rail cars to be delivered to train tracks adjoining the Chicago heights warehouse. Agents observed several individuals arrive at the site and watched as the individuals moved one of the rail cars inside of the warehouse premises, using a mechanical device.

Throughout last week, HSI and DEA agents, using court-authorized video recording inside the facility and aerial surveillance, observed individuals unloading the large super sacks from the rail cars, and specifically observed the following pattern of activity:

• approximately four individuals used forklifts to unload super sacks from one of the rail cars that was parked inside of the site;
• the individuals loaded the majority of the super sacks from the rail cars onto a flatbed semi-truck.  Once the flatbed was filled with super sacks, the truck was driven approximately 50 yards to an a smaller storage facility located just to the west; and
• the individuals then used a forklift to unload the super sacks from the flatbed, and moved them inside of the warehouse where they were stored until yesterday.  Between Dec. 7-10, the process was repeated of unloading the super sacks from the six rail cars and moving them to the warehouse.

Agents maintained constant surveillance and did not observe any marijuana being removed from the storage facility. Between Dec. 6 and 15, agents used court-authorized wiretaps to intercept numerous telephone conversations in which Carlos Osvaldo Quintero and others allegedly discussed unloading, transporting and distributing the marijuana.

The marijuana distribution conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $4 million fine. If convicted, the Court must determine a reasonable sentence to impose under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Grimes, Nicole Kim and Erika Csicsila.

A complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Despite the negative comments that appear under articles published that remind folks that Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano’s highly publicized suicide by stepping in front of a commuter train, it seems others are of similar opinions.

Tuesday, the Chicago Sun-Times had such an article.

And the person agreeing was Illinois Commerce Commissioner Chip Pew, whose job is to keep cars and people from hitting trains.

“Copycatting is an element,” he told reporter Mary Wisniewski.

Illinois is on track to have double the number of train suicides this year as in 2009, Pew’s statistics show.

And a second Crystal Lake Metra crook gave this mode of ending one’s life the huge publicity push in early May.

It happened today in Solon Mills.

Here’s the information released by the Sheriff’s Department on 18-year old Rick Pries run-in with a Wisconsin Central train.

Sheriff’s Office Investigates Train and Car Traffic Crash

Sheriff Keith Nygren announced today the investigation of a property damage traffic crash involving a vehicle and a train.

On July 29, 2010 at 12:34 A.M. a 2008 Jeep was traveling southbound on North Solon Road in Richmond Township when it collided with a Wisconsin [and] Southern train that was crossing the roadway on the tracks.

The collision pushed the vehicle to the south of the railroad tracks.

At the time of the crash the lights and horn of the train were activated as it was backing up through the crossing.

There are railroad signals but not a gate at this railroad crossing.

The driver of the vehicle was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash and the airbags did not deploy as a result of the crash.

He was issued citations for Disobeying a RR signal/flagman, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The two passengers of the 2008 Jeep Wrangler were also uninjured in the crash.

Driver: Pries, Rick D. Age-18, 7002 Wildflower Ct., Spring Grove

Vehicle: 2008 Jeep Wrangler

Passengers:

• Moran, Alyssa K. Age-17, 904 W River Terrace, McHenry
• Miller, Zack D. Age-17, 2014 Devon Ln, Johnsburg

One might have thought the campaign ended with the Republican primary victory of McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren over Zane Seipler, the deputy Nygren never wants to see in the Sheriff’s Department again.

But Seipler’s blog, McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Exposed, continues to taunt the Sheriff. His most recent post tells of his father Russell Seipler was an NTSB investigator of the devastating Fox River Grove school bus-Metra train crash in the mid-1990′s. (My brother-in-law Dr. Joe Giangrasso was in Good Shepherd’s Emergency Room when the kids were brought in and my wife was chasing reporters out of hospital bathrooms, where at least one was hiding.)

Seipler’s civil suit continues in the deposition stage, as one can glean from reading between the lines on MCSDExposed.blogspot.com.

Seipler has hired an attorney to elaborate on his pro se filing prior to primary election day.

The first allegations read as follows:

“Elected Official Sheriff Nygren has abused his position and continues to violate the law. An emblem of the Sheriff’s department which Sheriff Nygren was supposed to use for the limited purpose of securing his election is now being used publicly by McHenry County. To this end, tax payer dollars are being used to further Sheriff Nygren’s political goals.

“Additionally, Sheriff Nygren failed to report or investigate the illegal conduct by Deputy Michael Cooper, as should be in line with his duties under the General Orders of McHenry County. Given the importance of maintaining the integrity of the State’s Attorney’s office and the significance of these crimes, it is vital for an independent prosecutor to be appointed to investigate these matters.”

It continues,

“Sheriff Nygren is involved in criminal conduct in the following two ways:

1. the illegal usage of the Sheriff’s campaign logo on multiple pieces of government property; and
2. the failure to investigate known criminal activity by Deputy Michael J. Cooper as related to the State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi investigation.”

The legal filing points out that the Sheriff’s Department has a five-pointed star “used on County documentation and can be seen on an emblem…worn by deputies.”

There is also a seven-pointed star, it continues, that was created by Nygren for campaign purposes.

“Without sanction, Sheriff’s Nygren created a campaign logo for political reasons and then illegally continued to use a political logo instead of the official logo on County property,” Seipler charges.

The question is whether the person charged with official misconduct manipulated his public office or employment in order to perform a proscribed act. Id.

“Clearly, Sheriff Nygren exploited his position as the Sheriff by using bus personal political logo on state property to market himself and his campaign.”

Six examples are offered as evidence relating to documents, as I read the legal document.

In addition, Seipler offers nine more examples on “buses, cars, envelope openers, motorcycles and even tanks.”

Such use violates these state laws, the filing continues:

• Official Misconduct, 720 ILCS 5/33-3(b) and (c) and
• Prohibited Political activities, 5 ILCS 430/5-15(a) and (b)

“Clearly, Sheriff Nygren exploited his position as the Sheriff by using bus [his?] personal political logo on state property to market himself and his campaign.

“Additionally, he used the services of the state and therefore used taxpayer dollars for the installation of these logo – patently abusing his power as a public official,”

Seipler’s brief charges.

“The question is whether the person charged with official misconduct manipulated his public office or employment in order to perform a proscribed act. Id. Clearly, Sheriff Nygren exploited his position as the Sheriff by using bus personal political logo on state property to market himself and his campaign.”

Next comes the part about Deputy Michael Cooper and his involvement with Amy Dalby is addressed.

“Dalby gave the USB key drive (from McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s office) to Michael J. Cooper, Sheriff Keith Nygren’s deputy and security guard. Deputy Cooper kept the USB key drive with the illegally obtained information in a safety deposit box. He never reported this illegally obtained material to the State Police or any other law enforcement authority.”

Nygren’s lack of investigation of this activity, which Seipler’s brief contends violated the law,

“include, but are not limited to:

(a) Illegal actions;
(b) Dereliction of duty
(c ) Malfeasance
(d) Misfeasance
(e) Conduct that may publicly discredit the Sheriff’s Office.”

The conclusion offered follows:

“Sheriff Nygren failed to report and/or investigate Deputy Michael Cooper’s conduct. While it is not clear if Nygren failed to report the deputy because of his relationship with Dan Regna, it is clear that Michael Cooper’s conduct was illegal and Nygren had a duty to investigate it.”

Next the appointment of a special prosecutor is requested.

Although there seems to be little love lost between McHenry County two chief law enforcement officers, State’s Attorney Bianchi has been representing Nygren, as the law proscribes

If that request for a special prosecutor is granted by Associate Judge Thomas A. Meyer, both Bianchi and Nygren would be facing special prosecutors.

Nygren ally Dan Regna, Bianchi’s Republican primary opponent two years ago, successfully sought a special investigator to probe Bianchi’s alleged political use of his office. Judge Gordon Graham is the associate judge that ruled in Regna’s favor.

Since then, Independent judicial candidate Sally Wiggins has filed to oppose Graham Republican candidacy in the fall election.

Nygren is being opposed by Democrat Mike Mahon and Green Gus Philpott.

The next court date is August 12th at 10 AM.

A lot has been written by others of the legacy that Phil Pagano left Metra.

Having only ridden the Chicago and Northwestern line, I see less service since Metra took over, not more, except for the new Pingree Road Station.

The lessening of customer service pre-dated Pagano’s leadership, so I won’t blame him.

Other say that service on train lines other than the Northwestern (purchased by the Union Pacific) have improved. I’ll take their word for it. I’ve hear the Milwaukee Line was not so good.

Not much will be written about Pagano’s other legacy—showing people all over the country how to commit suicide.  (Yes, all over the country.  The 11 PM national CBS radio news led with his suicide and it made national TV.)

It is just too coincidental that yesterday’s Pingree Road suicide by train took place in Crystal Lake.

It strains credulity to think that the man who killed himself was not inspired by Pagano’s method of ending his life.

Everyone who is depressed does not have a handgun.

Everyone does have a nearby train.

If it appears I’m disturbed, I am.

Pagano did not have to make a public spectacle of his death.

By train even.

Here’s his itinerary for the day, provided by Green Party candidate for McHenry County Sheriff Gus Philpott:

May 21ST

8:16 am Rich Whitney takes the Metra west from Arlington Heights (8:16am).

9:01 am Rich arrives by Metra in Woodstock, 90 Church Street. Meets up with other Green Party candidates, Scott Summers, Bill Scheurer, Frank Wedig, Gus Philpott.

Meet press at Woodstock Metra station

9:15 – 9:45 am
Travel by bicycle Other World Computing, 2650 Bridge Lane. Approx 20 minute ride.

9:45 am – 11:00 am Tour their site, with CEO Larry O’Connor. Inspect Wind Turbine, LEED platinum buildings,

11:00 – 11:20 am
Bike out of there, back to Woodstock Metra station

11:20 – 11:45 Depart for Capron

11:45-12:30 Ride from Capron to Calendonia on the Long Prairie Trail

12:30 – 1:00 Stop for Lunch in Caledonia

1:00 pm Ride Calendonia to Rockford, approx 16-20 miles to Martin Park

2:30 pm Meet any other riders Martin Park, just South of the Riverside Bridge

3:00 pm Ride to 3 miles to Press Conference by symbol sculpture

3:30 pm Ride into downtown Rockford