(CHICAGO) A former chief of staff to the head of Illinois’ public health department was sentenced to eight years in prison Tuesday in a case that involved a multimillion-dollar bribery and kickback scheme involving government grants and contracts.
Quinshaunta R. Golden, of Homewood, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Springfield.
Golden, 46, is the niece of U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis and served as chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Public Health from 2003 to early 2008, the Sun-Times reported previously.
Prosecutors claim Golden conspired with a former IDPH aide, Roxanne B. Jackson, and Chicago social services provider Leon Dingle Jr. to steer millions of dollars in state health department grants and contracts their way and, in return, get kickbacks.
At Golden’s direction, $772,500 went to Jackson — who worked for Dingle as a consultant after leaving the department — and kicked back half of that sum to Golden.
Golden also got additional kickbacks from Jackson through a health department contract Golden gave to a security company owned by Jackson’s brother, according to prosecutors and her plea deal.
Prosecutors also claimed Golden tried to persuade a witness in the case in order to obstruct a grand jury investigation.
Golden pleaded guilty in April 2014 to bribery and theft, and obstruction of justice, the Sun-Times reported. In her plea agreement, she also agreed to cooperate in possible future government investigations.
Golden must serve three years of supervised released after prison, and will begin serving her sentence in September, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. She and Jackson have been ordered to pay $1,000,000 in restitution to IDPH.
Jackson was sentenced to 25 months in prison for the kickback scheme and filing false income tax returns, federal authorities said.
Last December, a jury convicted Dingle and his wife Karin in a separate case of conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud and money laundering for their use of grant funds. They are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
— Chicago Sun-Times, Sun-Times Media Wire
