Joliet manslaughter convict adds defrauding Paycheck Protection Program to legal troubles

A Joliet man convicted of involuntary manslaughter made a brief return to the Will County jail on charges alleging he defrauded a federal program meant to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adrian Bailey, 21, didn’t stay for too long in jail on Monday. He wasn’t in prison for very long either, after he pleaded guilty to unintentionally killing 24-year-old Dennis Lee in Romeoville. Bailey was paroled on Sept. 8.

On Monday, Bailey showed up to Judge Dave Carlson’s courtroom to surrender himself on charges of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program and committing state benefits fraud.

His attorney, Chuck Bretz, filed a motion asking for his client’s $200,000 bond to be reduced to $50,000. Carlson granted the motion.

After Bailey was booked into the jail about 10 a.m. on Monday, he was released about 5 p.m. when he posted 10% of his $50,000 bond.

Bailey’s brother, Donta Bailey, 19, had also been booked into jail about 1:30 p.m. on Monday. Dan Jungles, deputy chief of the Will County Sheriff’s Office, said Bailey was apprehended in LaSalle County.

The jail log showed Bailey was charged with theft, state benefits fraud, loan fraud and wire fraud in a juvenile case. Representatives of the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to messages seeking more information about the case.

Donta Bailey was released about 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday. No bond amount was shown for him in the jail log.

The brothers have been entangled in an ongoing investigation of PPP loan fraud that has led to charges against 14 people in Will County thus far. Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said its department and other law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation.

Donta Bailey was initially charged as an adult with PPP loan fraud but prosecutors dropped those charges.

Last year, prosecutors filed a complaint for forfeiture of $2,134 they claimed was fraudulently obtained by Adrian Bailey. On Feb. 28, Judge Ken Zelazo ruled in favor of prosecutors and forfeited the money.

According to prosecutors’ forfeiture complaint, Joliet police detectives on May 20, 2021, at the Bailey brothers’ home.

Detectives received information there were handguns inside the home, as well as residents involved in Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud, prosecutors said.

Officers found fraudulent PPP loan documents in Bailey’s name, prosecutors said.

Officers also learned Donta Bailey apparently received a check from First Midwest Bank on April 21, 2021, in the amount of $21,098 from a PPP loan believed to be fraudulent, prosecutors said.

In a court filing, Adrian Bailey denied the $2,134 was criminally obtained property.