Civil suit alleging rape by gambling entrepreneur moves to Madison County
A civil suit alleging that Illinois gambling and cannabis entrepreneur Jeff Rehberger Jr. raped a Highland girl when he was 17 and she was a 15-year-old minor has been moved from Chicago to Edwardsville.
The first case management conference was held in Madison County Circuit Court on Wednesday, a week after Rehberger’s local attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case. Attorneys for the woman — identified as “Jane Doe” — haven’t yet submitted a response.
A Cook County Circuit Court judge had granted Rehberger’s motion to transfer late last year after one of his Chicago attorneys argued that the woman now lives in Madison County and Rehberger lives in Puerto Rico. Both formerly resided in Chicago.
“The Complaint lacks any other allegations connecting the subject incident, parties, witnesses or records to Cook County,” the motion stated. “Instead, non-party witnesses, records and the site of the alleged incident are located in Madison County.”
Rehberger, 38, has denied what he calls “anonymous, unsubstantiated allegations” by a former girlfriend and vowed to “vigorously defend himself and vindicate his conduct and reputation.”
Rehberger is being represented by Edwardsville attorney Ann Callis, a former Madison County judge.
Callis’s motion to dismiss states that Jane Doe’s complaint doesn’t include enough specifics related to her claim that she was “violently raped,” and that one of five counts was filed too late in light of an Illinois Gender Violence Act statute of limitations.
“This Motion (is) in no way suggesting that graphic or unnecessarily sexual allegations are required,” the motion states. “However, the complaint is so vague and ambiguous that Defendant cannot reasonably be required to frame a responsive pleading.”
Callis declined to comment on Wednesday.
Mark Brown, Jane Doe’s lead attorney in Chicago, didn’t respond to a request for comment. The woman is being represented locally by Glen Carbon attorney Ryan Mahoney.
Brown filed the lawsuit Oct. 21 in Cook County. It asks for damages in excess of $50,000 for each of five counts, including assault, battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and violation of the Illinois Gender Violence Act.
“Defendant’s conduct ... was extreme and outrageous and went beyond all bounds of decency,” and it caused Jane Doe to suffer “severe emotional stress,” the six-page complaint states.
When reached by the BND, the woman, now 36, reiterated accusations in the lawsuit and said witnesses and records, including an 2006 order of protection against Rehberger, will back up her claims. She said she filed the lawsuit to get closure and peace, not money, and to stand up against domestic violence and sexual assault.
“The story of what happened that night has never changed and will never change because it’s the truth,” the woman said.
The BND has confirmed Jane Doe’s identity but isn’t naming her because of a Cook County judge’s decision to allow her to proceed with the lawsuit under a fictitious name.
The woman’s petition for that anonymity stated that she suffers from significant psychological, psychiatric and other detrimental effects of the alleged sexual assault, and these would be heightened if her identity was revealed to friends, family and the community.
“The Court finds there is a compelling interest that favors Plaintiff’s right to privacy in keeping her name from the public and such right is superior to the public’s right of access to an open proceeding,” the judge wrote in his order.
Rehberger is a Highland native and CEO of the private-equity firm Vast. It’s an umbrella company that includes Lucky Lincoln Gaming, Cloud9 Cannabis and other interests ranging from real estate to solar power, cryptocurrency to coffee shops.
Illinois has no general statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse.
According to Jane Doe’s complaint:
- She began dating Rehberger in 2004, when she was a 14-year-old freshman at Highland High School.
- He allegedly subjected her to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
- In July 2005, when the girl was 15, she agreed to ride in a vehicle with friends after being assured Rehberger wouldn’t be present.
- The girl was “shocked” to find him among the passengers when she entered the vehicle.
- The group went to a friend’s house, and the girl ended up isolated with Rehberger in the basement.
- He allegedly threatened her with bodily harm.
- Rehberger followed her outside and allegedly “violently raped” her.
“This assault was Plaintiff’s first experience with vaginal intercourse,” the complaint states.
Madison County court records include a 2006 petition for an emergency order of protection against Rehberger by the mother of Jane Doe, then 16. In a two-page handwritten statement, the girl alleged that he had raped her the year before and continued to harass her.
The judge issued an emergency order of protection, but after a court hearing six weeks later, he denied the mother’s request for a longer-term order of protection, stating that she had “failed to satisfy her burden of proof.” By that time, Rehberger was living in Columbia, Missouri.
This month, Rehberger declined comment on the lawsuit through a spokesman, Randall Samborn. Last fall, Samborn emailed the following statement on his behalf:
“Jeff Rehberger unequivocally denies the false accusations against him regarding events that allegedly occurred more than 20 years ago when both he and the plaintiff were minors. These specious allegations are hurtful, and he is taking them seriously by exploring all options to vigorously defend himself and vindicate his conduct and reputation.
“He is confident that the truth will prevail in court. Making anonymous, unsubstantiated allegations that are two decades old screams loudly that they are unreliable and lack credibility.”
The Jane Doe case is one of at least three civil lawsuits now pending against Rehberger Jr. in Madison County.
Four of his family members – Mary Edwards, Linda Summercorn, Robert Rehberger and Rebecca Rehberger – filed a complaint in 2017, alleging that he and his father, Jeff Rehberger Sr., had committed fraud by turning a relative against them to obtain her assets upon death.
Rehberger Sr. owns the Lacey’s Place chain of video-gambling lounges, including one in unincorporated Belleville, where Lucky Lincoln Gaming has slot and poker machines.
Also pending is a 2020 civil lawsuit filed by Jeff and Donna Mick, investors in Lacey’s Place. The complaint alleges that mismanagement, violation of state law and Illinois Gaming Board rules and other actions by Rehberger Jr., Rehberger Sr. and investor Daniel Damaschke caused financial harm to the Micks.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
