FIREGEEZER HAS BEEN REPORTING TOO FREQUENTLY about fire and ems chiefs who stray off the path and commit crimes. We want you to know that fire/rescue doesn’t have a monopoly on crooked public service officers.
The Gallatin County, Illinois, Sheriff Raymond Martin was arrested and jailed last May on Federal charges of dealing drugs, sometimes while on duty. He has been held incarcerated since then while awaiting trial later this month. On Saturday January 2, when his wife and their 20-yr.-old son came to visit him at the jail, they were arrested and all three of them were charged in a murder-for-hire scheme, reportedly in an effort to eliminate two witnesses in his upcoming trial.
The Associated Press, along with WSIL-TV filed this video report:
According to the charges, sometime between October 1 and December 31 the Martins approached two men, identified as Kevin B and Thomas H. The Martins are accused not only of asking the men to commit a murder, but also of offering them some form of payment. All three of them are now being held under $1 million bond each and are expected to have a court hearing sometime today. Shawneetown residents say that corruption has grown steadily since Martin took office 20 yrs. ago. Not being said is why the residents continued to re-elect him.
