Cynthia Marie Alexander a political aide to Senator Terry Link has an interesting history--- a history of money laundering, aiding and abetting a narcotics conspiracy, and obstructing justice. Alexander who works in Link's office was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for her part in a Lake County cocaine ring in 1992. Below is a Chicago Tribune article from May 15, 1992:
A Lake County lawyer was sentenced in federal court Thursday to more than 7 years in prison for aiding a childhood friend's multimillion-dollar cocaine operation.Cynthia Alexander, 33, of Long Grove, was convicted by a jury last August of money laundering, aiding and abetting a narcotics conspiracy, and obstructing justice.Alexander's longtime friend, Clifford Jones, the admitted leader of the drug ring, pleaded guilty and testified at her trial that she was his adviser and accomplice in a cocaine business that at its peak made $7,000 a day in 1987. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sentenced Alexander, whose law office is in Waukegan, to 7 years and 3 months in prison.He also imposed a 10-year prison sentence on Jones that had been worked out by his lawyer and the government.Also convicted of money-laundering at the trial were the parents of Jones' former wife, James and Lavern Young; and Riley Barnett, a North Chicago real estate agent.In addition, Willie Coleman, a former North Chicago police officer, was convicted of providing security for the drug ring and allowing Jones' workers to use his home as a drug house.Previously, Leinenweber sentenced James Young to 2 years in prison, gave Young's wife 3 years of probation and sentenced Barnett to 3 1/2 years in prison and Coleman to more than 4 years in prison.In lengthy testimony at the trial last summer, Jones said he first met Alexander when both worked in a summer camp as teenagers. Years later, when Alexander was a lawyer in downtown Waukegan in 1985, Jones hired her to represent him on a gun charge.After that, the government contended, she helped Jones in numerous criminal ways for up to 2 1/2 years in the late 1980s.Alexander, who was once touted as a possible future judge, advised Jones to have his drug sellers carry less than five grams of cocaine at a time to avoid stiffer prison sentences if they were arrested, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Patricia Holmes.Alexander also suggested the workers wrap the cocaine in magazine paper rather than the common white paper that might attract the attention of police, Holmes said.Alexander also let workers leave drug money at her office at the end of the day and let Jones use her law firm's bank accounts to launder drug money, Holmes said.With the assistance of the Youngs, Alexander also helped Jones launder money used to buy a $212,000 house in Chino Hills, Calif.Jones started cooperating with authorities months before the indictments took place.In one conversation secretly recorded by Jones, Barnett, the real estate agent, took Jones on a tour of the buildings he had bought on Jones' behalf and admitted he knew the money came from drug proceeds, Holmes said.
