Mattoon Man and Associates of Omega Trust & Trading, Ltd. Charged with $12.5 Million International Fraud, Money Laundering Conspiracy

ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 28, 2000
CONTACT: Dave Druker
or

CONTACT: Elizabeth Kaufman

Mattoon Man and Associates of Omega Trust & Trading, Ltd.
Charged with $12.5 Million International Fraud, Money Laundering Conspiracy
SPRINGFIELD –– Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White's Securities Department assisted in an investigation that resulted in the arrests of 19 people who took part in a multi-million dollar international fraud scheme.
     The U.S. Attorney's office for the Central District of Illinois announced a federal grand jury indictment in Springfield on August 28th against Omega Trust and Trading Ltd. Indicted was Clyde D. Hood, 66 of Mattoon and 18 of his associates.
     In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Frances C. Hulin was joined by representatives of the law enforcement agencies participating in this ongoing investigation:

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Don Whitehead, Special Agent in Charge, Springfield Field Office;
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cheryl L. Smith, Public Information Office/Postal Inspector, representing Northern Illinois Division, Chicago, and Midwest Division, St. Louis;
U.S. Marshals Service, Robert Moore, Marshal, Central District of Illinois;
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Jimmy Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office;
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Department of Securities, Tonya Solov, Director; and,
Mattoon Police Department, David L. O'Dell, Chief.
     The case prosecution is being coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Esteban F. Sanchez and Patrick D. Hansen of the Springfield division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois.