Jose Guillen, Obstruction of Justice, Illinois 2024

CHICAGO — A former investigator for the Illinois Department of Agriculture has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for groping several women while on duty and then lying under oath about it during an official proceeding.

Jose Guillen, 43, of Melrose Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty last year to obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow imposed the year-and-a-day sentence during a hearing on Wednesday, March 7, 2024, in federal court in Chicago.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Guillen inappropriately touched and groped female operators of animal care facilities that he inspected for the State of Illinois. In his official capacity as a state investigator, Guillen had the power to influence whether an animal care facility received a license to operate and whether it could continue in operation after receiving the license.

When one of the victims filed a civil lawsuit against Guillen, he repeatedly lied under oath during a deposition in the case. In the deposition, Guillen stated that he touched the victim’s buttocks by accident. In a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to resolve the federal criminal case, Guillen admitted that he “intentionally touched [the victim’s] buttocks for purposes of his own sexual gratification.” Guillen also admitted in the plea agreement that he lied in his deposition when he denied having inappropriately touched four other animal care facility operators.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“None of these women consented to the defendant’s lecherous advances,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu and Diane MacArthur argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It was only when confronted by a series of accusers who were brave enough to step forward to put a stop to his misconduct that the defendant capitulated and accepted responsibility for his serial wrongdoing by pleading guilty.”

Guillen's prison term is a result of his obstruction of justice. The exact criminal charges that Guillen faced include obstruction of justice, with no fines or other financial penalties mentioned. The city and state involved in the case are Chicago, Illinois. The date of the sentencing was March 7, 2024.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in positions of power, particularly in industries that require trust and integrity. The outcome of the case is a year in federal prison for Jose Guillen.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-illinois-department-agriculture-investigator-sentenced-year-prison-obstructing