Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Guilty verdict for Cahokia man; candidate for U.S. attorney nabbed him after theft

A Cahokia man who was nabbed by a U.S. attorney finalist was convicted of burglary on Thursday.

A St. Clair County jury convicted Freddie L. Davis, 46, of 212 Kinder in Cahokia, after a two-day trial that included testimony from Steve Wigginton, a candidate for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois position, and other members of his law firm where the theft occurred.

Wigginton was at the Weilmuenster & Wigginton law firm's building at 3201 W. Main St. in Belleville late on the afternoon of July 29, he said. Wigginton walked out of his personal office and heard his secretary shout, "Stop him! Stop him! He has her wallet!"

Davis had walked into the building then snatched a wallet out of the secretary's purse, a police report said, then fled.

Wigginton and lawyer Brian J. Manion ran out of the building after Davis until Wigginton tackled and detained him, waiting for police.

Davis was charged with burglary.

Just a couple of weeks before Wigginton nabbed Davis, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin sent Wigginton's and current U.S. Attorney Courtney Cox names for consideration to fill the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District job.

President Obama still has not made a selection to put before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Circuit Judge John Baricevic will sentence Davis on Dec. 18. He could face up to seven years in prison.