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An ex-Joliet Township official was a no-show for what could have been his final pretrial hearing in a case where he’s charged with defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program and fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits.
About 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Will County Judge Jessica Colón-Sayre was told by attorney Anna Bertani that Karl Ferrell, 44, of Joliet, was not present in court.
Ferrell was once a Joliet Township trustee. Last year, Ferrell stepped down as trustee when a Will County judge and an appellate court ruled he was not qualified to serve as an elected official because of his past felony convictions.
Tuesday was initially meant to be the final pretrial hearing in Ferrell’s case. But Colón-Sayre would later learn from Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Aristotelis Theodorou that they were still “finalizing discovery” in Ferrell’s case.
Theodorou requested a warrant for Ferrell’s arrest.
Colón-Sayre set Ferrell’s case for another hearing on Oct. 22. for a warrant application for Ferrell and status on discovery. She told the parties in Ferrell’s case that no final pretrial hearing should be scheduled if the discovery is not yet completed.
“Let’s not do that. Everyone’s at a disadvantage,” Colón-Sayre said.
On Dec. 15, 2022, Ferrell was charged with fraudulently obtaining about $39,623 in Paycheck Protection Program loan funds. The program was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help struggling businesses make payroll.
Ferrell was also charged with fraudulently obtaining $11,203 in unemployment benefits and failure to file income tax returns in between 2018 and 2022.