Peoria Man Charged With Host Of Felony Offenses In Bank Fraud Scheme

PEORIA – A grand jury indicted Chad D. Campen, 32, of the 6100 block of Pfeiffer Road, in Peoria, Illinois on January 19, 2022, with 17 felony counts related to a bank fraud scheme. Campen was arrested on January 24, 2022, and appeared in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley at the federal courthouse in Peoria today for an initial appearance.

The indictment, which was unsealed at the hearing, charged Campen with five counts of bank fraud; eight counts of wire fraud; two counts of illegal monetary transaction; one count of bankruptcy fraud; and one count of false statements under oath. The indictment alleges that beginning as early as January 2013, Campen engaged in a scheme to defraud in which he made a number of false and fraudulent statements to banks and others. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he obtained funds by falsely claiming his success in multiple business ventures and falsely representing to others the amount of land he was farming, that he sold agricultural inputs, that he had substantial amounts of grain stored, his assets, and his overall financial status.

At today’s initial appearance, the government requested that Campen be detained pending trial. Magistrate Judge Hawley issued a temporary order of detention for Campen pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on January 26, 2022.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are:

• Bank Fraud, Counts 1-5: up to thirty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release for each count;
• Wire Fraud, Counts 6-13: up to twenty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release for each count;
• Illegal Monetary Transaction, Counts 14-15: up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of the criminally derived property), and 3 years of supervised release for each count; and
• Bankruptcy Fraud and False Statement Under Oath, Counts 16-17: up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release for each count.

Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer is representing the government in the prosecution.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.